A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing after a boat ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
