No fewer than seven people have perished and many others are lost following a vessel transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven victims who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on perilous trips over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries designed to reducing irregular migration.
