No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others are missing after a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway used by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
