No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others are missing in the wake of a boat transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
