At least seven souls have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying around two hundred people attempting to reach Europe capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at limiting irregular migration.
