No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route 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 over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with several North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
