No fewer than seven souls have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several North African nations designed to curtailing illegal migration.
