No fewer than seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft ferrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
