A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number are missing after a craft transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
