A minimum of seven people lost their lives and many others are missing following a craft carrying approximately 200 people trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states designed to reducing illegal migration.
