Dozens dead, 61 missing as two boats sink off Djibouti

At least 45 people have died and many others are missing after two migrant boats capsized off the coast of Djibouti, officials say.

The boats left Yemen with 310 people on board before sinking in the Red Sea off the east African nation on Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.

“To date, 61 individuals are still missing and the search operations are continuing relentlessly,” the Djibouti’s coastguard said.

It is the latest boat disaster to hit the route, described as one of the busiest and most dangerous in the world, used by refugees and migrants from Africa.

A “large-scale search” is underway since early on Monday supported by IOM, with 115 survivors now rescued, Djibouti’s coastguard said.

“We remain committed to finding the missing persons and ensuring the safety of the survivors,” the agency said in a statement.

The boats sank just 150 metres (492 feet) from a beach near Djibouti’s north-west Khor Angar region, the coastguard added.

Thousands of African migrants have been sailing across the Red Sea toward the oil-rich Gulf each year, seeking to escape conflict, natural disasters and poor economic prospects.

In June, at least 56 Somali and Ethiopian migrants died and 140 others were reported missing after a boat from Somalia capsized in the Gulf of Aden, off Yemen’s south coast. Among those who lost their lives were 31 women and six children.

The number of migrants arriving in Yemen from the Horn of Africa rose from about 73,000 in 2022 to more than 97,200 last year, according to the IOM.

Most of them are forced to rely on smugglers who use often dangerous and overcrowded boats for the crossings.