No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to limiting undocumented migration.
