A minimum of seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost in the wake of a boat ferrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores capsized in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates in excess of nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.
