A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are missing after a boat transporting around two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to curtailing irregular migration.
