Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of victims from a tragic migrant boat accident off the coast of Djibouti. The disaster highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting perilous journeys across the sea.
On Wednesday, the Djiboutian Coast Guard was engaged in recovering the bodies of migrants who drowned off the Horn of Africa’s coast.
The U.N. migration agency reported on Tuesday that two boats transporting migrants capsized in the Red Sea near Djibouti’s coast, resulting in 45 fatalities.
Many people are still unaccounted for.
The International Organization for Migration in Djibouti is assisting state emergency services with search and rescue operations for missing individuals.
They reported that 55 people have been rescued so far and are currently receiving medical and psychosocial support.
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The migrants reported that smugglers had compelled them to disembark from their vessel while still in open sea.
According to the IOM, 310 people had departed from Yemen aboard the boats.
Every year, thousands of migrants from African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian countries embark on irregular journeys to Europe in search of a better life.
Smugglers load vessels with desperate individuals who are willing to risk their lives in an attempt to reach continental Europe.
According to Djibouti’s coast guard, the tragedy occurred approximately 150 meters (around 500 feet) off the shore near a beach in the northwest Khor Angar region.
