At least seven people have perished and many others are lost after a vessel carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to Europe sank near the shoreline of The Gambia, officials state.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday close to Jinack in the North Bank area and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Nearly one hundred people have been saved to date and a search is continuing for those still missing who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has grown into a more frequent path for African migrants attempting to get to Europe.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants made it to the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Rescue Operation
After Wednesday's accident, the navy initiated a search-and-rescue operation, involving a number of military boats and a fishing vessel that came to assist, the military reported.
Officials state some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who died have been recovered, and ten of the survivors are described as being in critical condition and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
This West African nation is one of the routes utilized by migrants attempting to enter European countries, typically through dangerous journeys across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European Union has forged deals with several Maghreb states with the goal of curtailing illegal migration.
