No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned 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 area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach European countries, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
