9 dead, 45 missing after shipwreck off Djibouti, IOM says
The incident occurred on the night of March 24 and the boat was carrying 320 passengers at the time of the accident
At least nine people were killed, and 45 others remain missing, following a shipwreck off the coast of Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations migration agency, said on Thursday.
The incident occurred on the night of March 24 near Djibouti's northern coast, off the area of Ombok, the IOM said in a statement.
The boat was carrying 320 passengers at the time of the accident.
The agency did not provide information on the vessel's origin or destination, though similar accidents are frequent in waters between the Horn of Africa and Yemen. These routes are often used by migrants attempting to reach the Middle East and beyond.
Tens of thousands of migrants from the Horn especially from Ethiopia and Somalia, transit through Djibouti each year in an attempt to reach Saudi Arabia and Gulf nations in search of employment opportunities.
