At least 139 migrants have died and 84 more are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, as quoted by DPA. The boat was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen.
According to survivors, the boat capsized on Thursday evening near the port of Obock in northern Djibouti. More than 80 people survived, all of whom are Ethiopians. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Initially, 109 people were reported dead. The bodies recovered at the time included 52 men, 42 women and 15 children. The death toll has risen to at least 139 with 84 people still missing after more bodies were found.
“This is a huge loss of life“, said Alexandre Koasak, IOM's head of mission in Djibouti.
“Our teams are on the ground working with local authorities to provide emergency assistance. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants on this migration route in search of economic opportunities,“, said Koasak.The route through Djibouti and across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen is used by migrants from the Horn of Africa hoping to reach countries on the Arabian Peninsula. The crossing is taking place despite the risks at sea and the ongoing instability in Yemen.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com, thenationalnews.com