At least seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for in the wake of a vessel carrying around two hundred migrants attempting to reach Europe overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers attempting to get to European nations.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military said.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Over the past few years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to reducing irregular migration.
