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139 migrants, including children, die after boat capsizes off Djibouti
KSL News • • world
Key Points:
- At least 139 migrants, including children, died after a boat carrying over 300 people capsized off the coast of Djibouti; the death toll may rise as more bodies are verified.
- The overcrowded vessel sank shortly after departing on the night of October 8, with more than 80 survivors—all Ethiopian nationals—rescued and receiving medical and psychological support.
- Many victims were buried in unnamed common graves, highlighting the tragic anonymity of the disaster, while survivors remain in shock and some have contacted family members.
- The shipwreck is one of the deadliest incidents on the migration route from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, where tens of thousands seek work annually despite ongoing conflict in Yemen.
- The International Organization for Migration called for safer, legal pathways for migrants, emphasizing that such tragedies must not be normalized and urging governments and donors to take action.
