No fewer than seven people have died and many others remain unaccounted for following a craft ferrying about two hundred migrants trying to get to Europe overturned in waters near Gambia, officials state.
The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was bound for Spain's Canary Islands.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 people arrived at the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates in excess of 9,000 people perished during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, the navy launched a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that offered help, the defense officials confirmed.
Authorities say a number of those who died are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The remains of the seven individuals who died have been retrieved, and a dozen of the saved are reported to be in critical condition and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor taken by migrants seeking to get to the EU, frequently via hazardous voyages over water and land.
In recent years, the EU has forged deals with a number of North African countries with the goal of reducing undocumented migration.
