At least seven souls have died and many others are lost following a boat carrying approximately two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canary Islands in last year and estimates over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who died were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African nations designed to limiting undocumented migration.
