At least seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for after a vessel transporting about 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
