A minimum of seven people have died and numerous others are missing following a vessel ferrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy 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 a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
