At least seven people have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
