At least seven souls have perished and many others are missing following a craft transporting approximately two hundred people trying to get to Europe sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost 47,000 people made it to the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say several of the victims are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants seeking to get to Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with several North African countries with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
