No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are missing following a craft ferrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at limiting illegal migration.
