A minimum of seven souls lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for following a vessel carrying approximately 200 migrants seeking to enter the European continent overturned near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that offered help, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are not Gambian nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has established pacts with a number of Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
