A minimum of seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat transporting around 200 people attempting to reach European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
