At least seven souls lost their lives and numerous others are missing following a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
