No fewer than seven people have died and numerous others are lost after a boat ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African nations aimed at limiting illegal migration.
