A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for following a boat transporting approximately two hundred people seeking to enter European shores sank off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
