No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with several North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
