A minimum of seven individuals have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
