At least seven individuals have died and numerous others are missing after a craft ferrying about two hundred people attempting to reach European shores overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized late Wednesday night near Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants trying to reach Europe.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest in excess of nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with multiple North African countries with the goal of reducing illegal migration.
