A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a craft ferrying around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe capsized in waters near The Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African nations designed to limiting illegal migration.
