A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
