A minimum of seven people have perished and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a craft carrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe sank in waters near The Gambia, officials state.
The craft flipped late Wednesday night in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank area and it was afterwards located "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for other passengers who were aboard the sunken boat that was bound for the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Close to 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in last year and data indicates over 9,000 people have lost their lives during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
Following the Wednesday incident, Gambia's naval forces began a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Authorities say a number of those who died are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
A Common Migration Route
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants trying to reach the EU, frequently via dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
