No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a craft carrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 people perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states aimed at limiting irregular migration.
