No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others are missing following a vessel carrying about two hundred people attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with a number of North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
