No fewer than seven individuals have perished and a significant number are lost after a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers attempting to enter European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
