No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others are lost following a vessel carrying around two hundred people attempting to reach Europe capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than 9,000 people perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African countries with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
