No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number are missing in the wake of a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
