At least seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat ferrying around two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African nations with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
