No fewer than seven people have perished and many others are missing after a boat carrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations designed to curtailing illegal migration.
