109 migrants killed, 116 missing after boat sinks off Djibouti

A vessel carrying migrants has sunk in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti, killing 109 people and leaving 116 others missing.

According to Report, citing the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is part of the UN system, the vessel was carrying 305 Ethiopian nationals traveling from Djibouti to Yemen.

"109 people, including 15 children, have died. Another 116 are considered missing. Around 80 people survived," the organization said.

The tragedy occurred on the night of October 8-9 north of the city of Obock.

Search and rescue operations are continuing.

The route from countries in the Horn of Africa through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Yemen and onward to Saudi Arabia is one of the main irregular migration routes from East Africa.