No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and many others are missing following a vessel ferrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
