No fewer than seven souls have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a boat transporting approximately two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African nations with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
