At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying about two hundred people trying to get to the European continent sank in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
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 heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
