At least seven individuals have perished and a significant number are lost following a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who died were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to reducing undocumented migration.
