No fewer than seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying approximately two hundred people seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to the EU.
Nearly 47,000 people made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who died have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries designed to reducing undocumented migration.
