No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
