No fewer than seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a boat transporting around 200 people trying to get to the European continent overturned in waters near Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives during the journey.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African nations designed to limiting irregular migration.
