No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are missing after a craft transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
