More than 140 African Migrants Feared Dead In Boat Disaster Near Yemen

Middle East|More than 140 Migrants Feared Dead in Boat Disaster Near Yemen

At least 74 African migrants were missing after their boat capsized off Yemen, the U.N. migration agency said Monday, adding to fears that the disaster may have left more than 140 dead.

Yemen is at the crossroads of the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. The country has long been a transit point for migrants, mostly from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia, trying to reach the rich Gulf states to the north. The journey, known as the Eastern Route, is among the most perilous in the world.

Abdusattor Esoev, the head of the International Organization for Migration in Yemen, said on Monday that 12 people had survived but 68 bodies had been recovered since the disaster on Saturday night. At least 74 migrants were still missing, as their vessel tried to cross the sea from the Horn of Africa to Yemen.

“We know that most of the migrants on board were Ethiopian nationals,” Mr. Esoev said.

Local officials in Yemen said search-and-rescue operations were continuing, even as worries grew that many more had not survived.

“Many of the bodies have been found scattered along various parts of the coastline, raising fears that more victims remain missing at sea,” the authorities in Abyan, a southern Yemeni province, said in a statement posted on Facebook. The post included images that showed many of the dead had not been wearing life vests when their bodies washed ashore.

Mr. Esoev said overcrowding and a lack of safety equipment were likely factors. “The underlying cause of boats capsizing in the Eastern Route is due to smugglers filling boats over capacity and not providing enough life vests on board,” he said.