At least 24 people have died after two boats capsized off the coast of Madagascar
At least 24 people have died after two boats carrying mostly migrants capsized off the coast of Madagascar, local authorities said.
A statement from Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that efforts are ongoing to “ensure the safe return of survivors”. These two boats carry 70 passengers.
The ships were found off the northern coast of Madagascar on Saturday in the Indian Ocean. Their engines are believed to have failed.
A Somali government official told the media that the survivors were rescued by fishermen.
Survivors say they were trying to reach the French island of Mayotte, a common but dangerous route for Somali migrants seeking asylum.
Unemployment and poverty in the Horn of Africa forces many young people to take the dangerous route to reach Europe in the hope of a better life.
Madagascar’s authorities have warned of the “high risk associated with illegal migration” suggesting that the victims of the crisis were migrants.
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