A minimum of seven people have died and many others are missing after a boat transporting about 200 migrants seeking to enter European shores capsized near the shoreline of the Gambian coast, reports confirm.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the country's defence ministry announced officially.
Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were on board the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Africa trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a fishing boat that offered help, the defence ministry confirmed.
Reports indicate a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their identities are still being verified.
The bodies of the seven people who died were found, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
A Frequent Pathway
Gambia is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter Europe, often on hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
In recent years, the European bloc has reached agreements with multiple Maghreb states aimed at curtailing undocumented migration.
