A minimum of seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing after a craft carrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
