At least seven individuals have perished and numerous others are lost following a boat ferrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Nearly 47,000 individuals reached the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest over 9,000 migrants have lost their lives trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and ten of the survivors are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, often on hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with several Maghreb states aimed at reducing undocumented migration.