At least seven souls have perished and many others are lost after a vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing irregular migration.
