At least seven people lost their lives and a significant number are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying about two hundred people seeking to enter Europe overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries with the goal of curtailing irregular migration.
