No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft transporting around two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
