At least seven souls lost their lives and a significant number are lost following a craft transporting approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach the European continent capsized in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers seeking entry into Europe.
Nearly 47,000 individuals made it to the Canaries in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have lost their lives trying.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defense officials said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African nations aimed at reducing illegal migration.
