A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy began a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway used by asylum seekers trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple North African nations aimed at limiting irregular migration.
