At least seven people have died and numerous others are missing in the wake of a boat carrying approximately 200 migrants trying to get to European shores capsized in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African migrants seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing vessel that joined the effort, the defense officials reported.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in serious condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a frequent corridor taken by asylum seekers seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with several North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
