At least seven people have perished and numerous others are missing following a vessel carrying around 200 people trying to get to Europe overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night close to Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The bodies of the seven individuals who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with a number of Maghreb states with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
