At least seven souls have died and many others are lost following a craft ferrying around two hundred people seeking to enter the European continent sank in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at reducing illegal migration.
