A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others are lost following a vessel carrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting irregular migration.
