No fewer than seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost following a boat ferrying approximately two hundred people trying to get to the European continent overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy began a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the military said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who died have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African nations with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
