At least seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing after a craft carrying approximately 200 people trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
