A minimum of seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
