At least seven souls lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
