At least seven souls have died and numerous others are lost after a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military reported.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
