A minimum of seven people have died and many others are missing following a boat ferrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank near the shoreline of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with several Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
