At least seven souls have perished and many others remain unaccounted for after a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe sank in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for 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 European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who died were found, and ten of the survivors are described as being in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with several North African countries designed to curtailing illegal migration.
