A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing after a craft ferrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent sank in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
