A minimum of seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting around two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with several North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
