A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat carrying around two hundred people seeking to enter the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
