No fewer than seven souls have perished and a significant number are lost after a boat ferrying around 200 migrants attempting to reach European shores sank in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank area and it was subsequently discovered "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Ninety-six people have been saved to date and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the capsized craft that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The perilous journey over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to Europe.
Close to forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, the navy launched a rescue mission, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the military reported.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven people who perished at sea have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are described as being in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
This West African nation is a common pathway taken by migrants trying to reach the EU, typically through perilous trips by sea and land.
Over the past few years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to curtailing illegal migration.
