No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying about two hundred people seeking to enter Europe overturned off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with several North African nations with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
