No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing in the wake of a boat transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach European shores overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
