No fewer than seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight near the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African nations aimed at curtailing irregular migration.
