No fewer than seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
