No fewer than seven souls have died and many others are lost in the wake of a boat carrying approximately 200 people trying to get to the European continent overturned near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 people have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has forged deals with several North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
