Boat capsizes in Djibouti: 21 migrants killed

At least 21 people perished in a new migrant boat disaster off the coast of Djibouti, the UN's migration agency IOM said.

The agency said there were 77 migrants, including children, on the boat. 23 people are still missing. 33 people were rescued alive. IOM and local authorities are providing support to the victims, reports theguardian.com.

“Tragedy as boat capsizes off Djibouti coast with 77 migrants on board including children,” the IOM had said in an earlier post on X, giving a toll of at least 16 dead and 28 missing.

Berhanu Tsegaye, Ethiopia’s ambassador to Djibouti, said on X that the vessel was carrying Ethiopian migrants from Yemen when it went down on Monday night off Godoria in north-eastern Djibouti. He said 33 people, including one woman, survived.

Berhanu expressed his “deep sorrow ... over the succession of horrific disasters”, adding: “I reiterate that legal measures should be taken against illegal human smugglers who put the lives of our citizens at risk.”