A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost following a vessel carrying approximately two hundred migrants seeking to enter the European continent capsized off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense 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 sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
