No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
