A minimum of seven souls have died and a significant number are lost in the wake of a vessel transporting around 200 people attempting to reach European shores overturned in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized on Wednesday midnight close to Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "beached on a shoal", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 migrants have died trying.
Search and Rescue Efforts
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven individuals who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor utilized by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to limiting undocumented migration.
