A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
