Dozens dead, 61 missing as two boats sink off Djibouti

BBC:

At least 45 people have died and many others are missing after two migrant boats capsized off the coast of Djibouti, officials say.

The boats left Yemen with 310 people on board before sinking in the Red Sea off the east African nation on Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.

“To date, 61 individuals are still missing and the search operations are continuing relentlessly,” the Djibouti’s coastguard said.

It is the latest boat disaster to hit the route, described as one of the busiest and most dangerous in the world, used by refugees and migrants from Africa.

A “large-scale search” began early on Monday, supported by the IOM – with 115 survivors now rescued, Djibouti’s coastguard said.

“We remain committed to finding the missing persons and ensuring the safety of the survivors,” the agency said in a statement.

The boats sank just 150m (492ft) from a beach near Djibouti’s north-west Khor Angar region, the coastguard added.