At least seven souls have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
