No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat transporting about two hundred migrants trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.
