A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a craft carrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African nations designed to limiting undocumented migration.
