At least seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel carrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of limiting illegal migration.
