A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting about two hundred people attempting to reach Europe sank in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
