A minimum of seven people have perished and a significant number are missing after a vessel transporting about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
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 heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has established pacts with several North African nations designed to reducing illegal migration.
