A minimum of seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states designed to reducing irregular migration.
