A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by asylum seekers seeking to get to Europe, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to reducing undocumented migration.
