At least seven people have died and many others are missing after a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with several North African countries aimed at reducing illegal migration.
