Boat capsizes off Djibouti leaving 109 dead and scores missing

At least 109 migrants, including 15 children, have died and over 116 are missing after a boat carrying approximately 305 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti, according to the UN's migration agency. The incident occurred near Guhere, north of Djibouti's port town of Obock, during the night of October 8 into October 9. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that more than 80 survivors, all of whom were Ethiopian citizens, were able to escape the shipwreck.

The Ethiopian government has not yet commented on the tragedy. The IOM's chief of mission in Djibouti, Alexandre Coissac, emphasized the dangers faced by migrants along this migration route and the need for emergency assistance. Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and rescue operations, providing medical care to survivors, and arranging burials.

This incident follows renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region, which has led to a significant influx of migrants seeking safety in Djibouti.

Brief written by urgent.news from The National Business's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.