At least seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter the European continent capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African nations aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
