At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost in the wake of a vessel ferrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe overturned off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "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 those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants perished trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
