No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are missing in the wake of a boat transporting approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting irregular migration.
