A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing after a craft ferrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to the European continent sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, involving multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven victims who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states aimed at reducing illegal migration.
