No fewer than seven people have perished and a significant number are lost following a boat ferrying approximately 200 people seeking to enter European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
