No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft transporting approximately 200 people seeking to enter Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
