DJIBOUTI (Halbeeg News) – The death toll after two migrant boats sank in heavy seas off the coast of Djibouti has risen to 100, with scores still missing, officials confirmed.
Two vessels carrying migrants departed from Godaria on the Horn of Africa nation’s northeast coast on Tuesday morning, but sank in heavy seas 30 minutes into the journey, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Djibouti coast guard officials said the death toll which stands at 100 might rise as over 100 other are still missing.
“We have so far rescued over 10 people, but many others are still missing and creates fear that the death toll might rise,” Abdihila Fiyade, Djibouti coast guard official.
The IOM’s chief of mission in Djibouti Lalini Veerassamy told AFP the death toll had hit 31 yesterday.
“This tragic event demonstrates the risks that vulnerable migrants face as they innocently search for better lives,” she said in a statement issued by IOM.
According to Talini, Sixteen people were recovered alive following the sinking, with one survivor telling Djiboutian authorities there were 130 people on his boat.
The number of passengers on the second vessel remains unclear, as do the nationalities of those onboard.
Located across the Bab el-Mandeb strait from Yemen and next to Somalia and Ethiopia, Djibouti has in recent years become a transit point for migrants heading to seek work on the Arabian Peninsula.
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