A minimum of seven people have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting around two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", 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 on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims 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 a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
