No fewer than seven individuals have died and many others remain unaccounted for following a boat carrying about two hundred people trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a rescue mission, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
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.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of Maghreb states designed to curtailing undocumented migration.
