A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
