A minimum of seven souls have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat carrying around two hundred people trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
