No fewer than seven souls have died and a significant number are lost after a vessel transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized 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 Gambian military authorities announced officially.
96 individuals were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants trying to reach European nations.
Close to 47,000 people reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and estimates more than nine thousand individuals perished in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry confirmed.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The deceased of the seven individuals who died were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in serious condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants seeking to get to Europe, often on perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African nations aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
