At least seven people have perished and numerous others are missing following a boat transporting around two hundred migrants attempting to reach the European continent sank off the coast of Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers 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 seeking entry into European nations.
Nearly forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates more than nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military confirmed.
Officials state some of the deceased are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The deceased of the seven victims who perished at sea were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes used by asylum seekers seeking to get to European countries, frequently via dangerous journeys over water and land.
Recently, the EU has established pacts with multiple North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
