A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing following a vessel transporting approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
