No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost in the wake of a craft ferrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities 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 the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
