At least seven people have perished and many others are lost following a vessel carrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy began a search operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.
