No fewer than seven people lost their lives and a significant number are missing following a vessel ferrying around 200 people trying to get to Europe capsized near the shoreline of Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday in the vicinity of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was later found "beached on a shoal", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for the remaining passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Spanish archipelago in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 people perished trying.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, Gambia's naval forces began a search operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who drowned were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway taken by asylum seekers trying to reach the EU, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the European Union has reached agreements with a number of North African countries designed to limiting undocumented migration.
