At least 139 migrants dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 11 Oct, 15:54 · Archive

A boat carrying 305 migrants capsized off Djibouti, killing at least 139 people including children.

A boat carrying 305 migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti on Thursday night or Friday morning, killing at least 139 people and leaving at least 84 missing. At least 15 children were among the dead. More than 80 people survived, all of them Ethiopian nationals, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The vessel was travelling from Djibouti to Yemen when it went down, in what the IOM describes as one of the deadliest shipwrecks yet on the crossing from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. Personal items belonging to the migrants, including shoes, were found on a beach. Rescue efforts continued as concerns grew for those still missing.

Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa travel each year across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait towards Gulf countries in search of safety and economic opportunities. The route has claimed significant lives despite escalating fighting in Yemen. Over 900 migrants died or went missing along the route last year. IOM Director General Amy Pope called for governments and donors to establish safe and legal migration pathways. "No one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way," she said.

How it is being reported

• Some 139 dead after migrant boat capsizes off DjiboutiAt least 15 children are among the 139 migrants confirmed dead after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti in east Africa on its way to Yemen.The West Australian · 11 Oct, 15:37
• Some 139 dead after migrant boat capsizes off DjiboutiAt least 15 children are among the 139 migrants confirmed dead after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti in east Africa on its way to Yemen.Perth Now · 11 Oct, 15:37

In this story: Djibouti · Yemen · Horn of Africa · International Organization for Migration · Alexandre Coissac · Amy Pope

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