At least 45 dead, dozens missing as boats sink off coast of Djibouti

At least 45 people have died and dozens are missing after two vessels carrying refugees and migrants from Africa sank off the coast of Djibouti, the UN’s migration agency said.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday that the boats left Yemen with 310 people on board before sinking in the Red Sea. “IOM is supporting state emergency services in search and
rescue operations,” the organisation said in a post on X, adding that 32 survivors had been found. Djibouti’s coastguard said a joint rescue effort has been under way since early on Monday, with 115 survivors now rescued and dozens still missing.
The boats sank just 150 metres (492 feet) from a beach near Djibouti’s northwest Khor Angar region, the coastguard said.
“We remain committed to finding the missing persons and ensuring the safety of the survivors,” the coastguard said in a statement on social media, along with images of white body bags.
In April, at least 38 people, including children, died after their boat sank off the coast of Djibouti as it took the same route across the Red Sea. In June, at least 49 people died, mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia, when their boat sank after setting off from Somalia.
… Source: www.aljazeera.com/