No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others are lost following a vessel carrying about 200 people seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
