No fewer than seven souls have died and many others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying around two hundred migrants seeking to enter Europe capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say.
The boat overturned late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the country's defence ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been saved to date and a hunt is ongoing for those still missing who were on board the sunken boat that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa attempting to get to European nations.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Spanish archipelago in last year and data indicates over nine thousand individuals have died in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the military reported.
Authorities say several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are described as being in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
Gambia is a common pathway utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, frequently via perilous trips by sea and land.
Recently, the EU has reached agreements with several North African countries aimed at curtailing illegal migration.
