At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died after an overcrowded boat carrying more than 300 people capsized off Djibouti, the United Nations’ migration agency said.
The vessel was transporting 305 people from Djibouti to Yemen when it overturned Thursday night or early Friday near Guhere, north of Obock, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which reported the disaster Sunday.
At least 84 people were still missing as of Sunday, while more than 80 others survived. The IOM said all those rescued were Ethiopian nationals.
“No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement.
At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, died after a boat carrying more than 300 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti. (Alexandre Coissac/IOM via AP)
“We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal. Safe and legal pathways save lives. I am asking governments and donors to act before the next boat goes down,” Pope said.
The confirmed death toll includes only people whose bodies were recovered and buried by Djiboutian authorities. The number could increase as more victims are identified and verified, Alexandre Coissac, the IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti, told The Associated Press.
Some victims were buried by other migrants, but those deaths will not be included in the official tally until authorities verify the bodies, the news agency reported.
At least 84 people were still missing as of Sunday, while more than 80 survived. (Alexandre Coissac/IOM via AP)
“What is terrible is that they were buried with no names, in a common grave, like in a war situation,” Coissac said. “They all have a mother, a father, and we may never learn what happened.”
Coissac said the boat sank soon after leaving shore on the evening of Oct. 8, largely because it was carrying too many people.
Survivors were brought to an IOM rescue center in Obock, where they received medical care after swallowing seawater, as well as psychological support, according to The Associated Press.
The crossing from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula is a common but perilous route for migrants seeking work in Gulf countries. (Alexandre Coissac/IOM via AP)
“They’re all in a state of shock,” Coissac said.
The sea crossing from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula is frequently used by migrants trying to reach jobs in Gulf countries, but the journey is notoriously dangerous.
More than 900 migrants died or disappeared along the route last year, according to the IOM.