The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the boats sank in the Red Sea off the coast of east Africa on Tuesday after departing Yemen with 310 people on board.
The coastguard of Djibouti stated that “61 individuals are still missing and the search operations are continuing relentlessly.”
This boat accident is the most recent to occur on the route, which is considered to be among the busiest and riskiest in the world and is frequented by African migrants and refugees.
115 individuals have been rescued as a result of a “large-scale search” that began early on Monday and was aided by IOM, according to the coastguard of Djibouti.
The organization released a statement saying, “We are still dedicated to locating the missing people and guaranteeing the survivors’ safety.
The coastguard said that the boats sank only 150 meters (492 feet) from a beach close to the Khor Angar district in northwest Djibouti.
“I survived the ferry disaster, but 17 of my family members perished.”
How many people use tiny boats to cross the Channel?
Every year, thousands of African migrants attempt to flee warfare, natural disasters, and dismal economic prospects by sailing across the Red Sea toward the oil-rich Gulf.
A Somalia-bound boat overturned in the Gulf of Aden in June, near the southern coast of Yemen, killing at least 56 migrants from Somalia and Ethiopia and leaving 140 more unaccounted for. Among the people who perished.