No fewer than seven people have perished and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat carrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African nations aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
