No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others are missing in the wake of a boat carrying about two hundred people attempting to reach Europe overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in last year and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military said.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African nations aimed at limiting illegal migration.
