A minimum of seven individuals have died and numerous others are lost following a boat transporting about two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
