A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
