A minimum of seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat transporting approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
