A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing following a boat carrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
