At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after an overcrowded boat carrying 305 people overturned near Guhere, north of Obock, off the coast of Djibouti in East Africa. The International Organization for Migration said the vessel sank close to the shore on Thursday night, shortly after beginning its journey.
The confirmed death toll is 139, although the actual number of victims could be higher. Alexandre Coissac, the organisation’s Chief of Mission in Djibouti, explained that the official figure includes people whose bodies were buried by local authorities. Other victims were reportedly buried by fellow migrants.
Search and rescue operations are continuing, with 84 people still missing. More than 80 survivors, all of them Ethiopian nationals, have been rescued and taken to the organisation’s Rescue Centre in Obock. They are receiving medical assistance and psychological support.
The boat was crossing the Bab el Mandeb Strait from Djibouti towards Yemen. The route is frequently used by migrants from the Horn of Africa who travel in search of employment and safer living conditions in Gulf countries. However, the journey is extremely dangerous.
Figures from the Missing Migrants Project show that more than 900 people died or disappeared along this migration route during the previous year, highlighting the serious risks faced by those attempting the crossing.