A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others are missing in the wake of a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Officials state a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
