A minimum of seven individuals lost their lives and numerous others remain unaccounted for after a vessel ferrying approximately 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores overturned in waters near the Gambian coast, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and estimates in excess of 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Rescue Operation
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defense officials confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven individuals who drowned have been recovered, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and receiving urgent medical care.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via perilous trips across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple North African countries designed to reducing illegal migration.
