A minimum of seven people lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft carrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
