No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
