At least seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing following a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes 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 multiple North African countries designed to limiting irregular migration.
