No fewer than seven individuals have died and numerous others are lost in the wake of a vessel ferrying around 200 people seeking to enter European shores sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight near Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the capsized craft that was heading towards the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, involving a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the military reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven people who perished at sea were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is one of the routes used by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
