No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are missing in the wake of a boat transporting approximately 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defense officials said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
