By DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti — Two vessels carrying migrants from Africa sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti, killing 45 people, the U.N. migration agency said Tuesday.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the boats had departed from Yemen, carrying a total of 310 passengers.
Thousands of migrants from African, Middle Eastern and South Asian countries seeking a better life in Europe attempt irregular migration every year. Smugglers pack vessels full of desperate people willing to risk their lives to reach continental Europe.
The U.N. agency, which assisted in the search and rescue efforts, said on social media platform X that 32 survivors were rescued.
Djibouti’s coast guard said the tragedy struck some 150 meters (about 500 feet) off a beach in the northwest Khor Angar region. It said a joint rescue operation, which began early Monday, managed to save 115 survivors.
“We remain committed to finding the missing persons and ensuring the safety of the survivors,” the agency said in a statement posted on social media, with images of white body bags.
In this image made from video, Djiboutian coast guard workers search for bodies of migrants who were washed away on the shore of the Red Sea, off the coast in Djibouti Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (Djiboutian Coast Guard via AP)
