No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
