A minimum of seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost after a boat carrying approximately 200 people trying to get to the European continent capsized off the coast of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other 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 trying to reach the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
