No fewer than seven souls have perished and numerous others are lost following a vessel ferrying around two hundred people trying to get to European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
