No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
