No fewer than seven souls have died and many others are missing in the wake of a vessel transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to European nations.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces launched a search operation, deploying multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven victims who perished at sea have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in serious condition and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, frequently via perilous trips over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has established pacts with multiple North African countries designed to limiting illegal migration.
