No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at reducing illegal migration.
