Geneva: At least 109 people, including 15 children, have died after a boat with 305 migrants on board capsized off the coast of Djibouti in East Africa, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday.
Personal items likely belonging to the migrants, including shoes, were seen stranded on a beach in a video shared by IOM.
The boat was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized on Thursday night or Friday morning, according to the IOM.
Among the dead were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children. More than 80 people survived the accident, while at least 116 others remain missing.
Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel through Djibouti and across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait towards the Gulf countries, in search of safety and economic opportunities, said the IOM in its statement. That movement has continued despite violence in Yemen, on the other side of the strait.
“This is a devastating loss of life,” said Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti. “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants along this migration corridor as they seek economic opportunities.”
Authorities in Djibouti were continuing search and rescue operations on Sunday.