At least seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
