No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel transporting about 200 people seeking to enter the European continent sank in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and estimates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia 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 serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
