No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others are missing after a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
