No fewer than seven people lost their lives and numerous others are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
