No fewer than seven souls have perished and many others are missing after a boat carrying approximately two hundred people attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
