A minimum of seven souls have died and numerous others are missing in the wake of a vessel transporting about 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
