A minimum of seven people have died and numerous others are missing after a craft ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach the European continent overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area 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 other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
