No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost after a vessel ferrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to reducing illegal migration.
