A minimum of seven people have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel ferrying approximately 200 people attempting to reach European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search operation, using multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are said to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Recently, the EU has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of curtailing undocumented migration.
