No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with several Maghreb states designed to limiting illegal migration.
