A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are lost after a boat carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
