No fewer than seven people lost their lives and many others are missing after a boat ferrying about 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest in excess of 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants attempting to enter European countries, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of reducing irregular migration.
