At least seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing in the wake of a vessel carrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African nations designed to curtailing illegal migration.
