At least seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing in the wake of a craft transporting around two hundred people seeking to enter European shores capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Officials state several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with multiple Maghreb states designed to reducing illegal migration.
