At least seven souls have died and many others are lost after a craft carrying about two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa seeking entry into the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants perished in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy launched a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with multiple Maghreb states aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
