At least seven individuals have died and a significant number are lost following a vessel ferrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing 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 migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting irregular migration.
