No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and many others are lost following a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven people who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to limiting irregular migration.
