No fewer than seven people have perished and numerous others are missing after a vessel ferrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway utilized by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, typically through dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African nations with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
