A minimum of seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a craft carrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage 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 reached the Canary Islands in last year and estimates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
