No fewer than seven people have died and many others are missing following a craft carrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials confirmed.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to limiting undocumented migration.
