No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and numerous others are lost after a vessel transporting around two hundred migrants seeking to enter European shores sank near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were on board the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries designed to limiting irregular migration.
