No fewer than seven individuals have died and numerous others are lost following a boat transporting around 200 people seeking to enter Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy launched a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
