A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft transporting approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, often on perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several Maghreb states aimed at limiting illegal migration.
