No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others are lost following a craft transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
