No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number are missing after a craft transporting about two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
