No fewer than seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, 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 died were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states designed to curtailing illegal migration.
