No fewer than seven individuals lost their lives and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying about 200 people trying to get to Europe overturned near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for the remaining passengers who were on board the capsized craft that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canary Islands in last year and estimates over nine thousand individuals have died trying.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation, involving multiple navy ships and a fishing boat that came to assist, the military said.
Officials state several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with a number of North African countries aimed at reducing irregular migration.
