The death toll from the two migrant boats that sank off the coast of Djibouti has risen to 31, UN migration agency IOM has said. The incident on Tuesday occurred about 30 minutes after the overloaded boats set off in heavy seas from Godoria.
Sixteen people have been found alive but many more are missing. One survivor said there were 130 people on his boat, but was not able to say how many passengers were on the other vessel.
“This tragic event demonstrates the risks that vulnerable migrants face as they innocently search for better lives,” the IOM’s Lalini Veerassamy said in a statement. Djibouti has in recent years become a transit point for migrants hoping to find work on the Arabian Peninsula.
