At least seven individuals have perished and a significant number are missing after a craft carrying approximately 200 people seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states designed to curtailing illegal migration.
