A minimum of seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a craft ferrying approximately two hundred people trying to get to the European continent overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
