A minimum of seven people have died and numerous others are missing in the wake of a boat transporting around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in last year and estimates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
