A minimum of seven individuals have died and numerous others are missing following a craft carrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
