No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel carrying around two hundred people attempting to reach European shores overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at limiting irregular migration.
