A minimum of seven individuals have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft carrying about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent sank in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
