A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a craft carrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 people have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
