At least seven souls have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a boat ferrying around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft 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 migrants trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
