A minimum of seven souls have died and many others are lost following a craft ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe sank in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
