A minimum of seven individuals have died and many others are lost after a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants seeking entry into European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with multiple North African countries with the goal of limiting undocumented migration.
