At least seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are lost after a boat ferrying around 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense 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 capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
