A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat carrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
