A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
