No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a boat ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several North African countries aimed at limiting illegal migration.
