MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Twenty-four people were killed after two boats capsized off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, the Somali government said Sunday.
Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said 46 people had been rescued.
“We are working tirelessly to ensure that survivors are brought home safely and receive the necessary care,” he said.
Most of the passengers were young Somalis and their intended destination remains unclear. Many young Somalis undertake dangerous journeys every year in search of better opportunities abroad.
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A delegation led by Somalia’s ambassador to Ethiopia will travel to Madagascar on Monday to investigate the incident and coordinate efforts to help survivors.
Fiqi also said on Sunday that the Somali ambassador to Morocco will investigate a separate report on Somali youth stranded on the Moroccan coast. It is not clear when the incident took place in Morocco and Fiqi did not provide details.
The UN migration agency has in the past expressed concern about increasing cases of irregular migration from the Horn of Africa countries as people flee conflict and drought.
In April, 38 migrants were killed and 22 others were rescued from a shipwreck near Djibouti on a popular route to Yemen. Most of the rescued people were of Somali and Ethiopian nationality.
