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NEW YORK Sunday, October 11, 2026

Africa

Boat disaster off Djibouti kills at least 139

A migrant boat capsized off Djibouti, killing at least 139 people and leaving many missing.

New York Editorial News Desk October 11, 2026 1 min read

The Brief

  • At least 139 people died in a boatwreck off Djibouti, with more feared missing.
  • The vessel, carrying over 300 migrants, sank shortly after departure on Oct. 8.
  • Survivors are receiving medical and psychological support at an IOM center.

A boat carrying more than 300 migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti, resulting in at least 139 deaths, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, stated that the migrants boarded the ship in the evening of October 8 and that it sank shortly after, close to the shore, due to overcrowding.

Local authorities faced challenges handling the large number of bodies, with some migrants burying their deceased in a common grave without names, as Coissac described.

Survivors, including over 80 Ethiopian nationals, were brought to an IOM rescue center in Obock for medical treatment and psychological support, where many remain in shock.

The IOM reported that at least 84 people are still missing, making this one of the deadliest shipwrecks on the migration route from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.

The vessel was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized on Thursday night or Friday morning, with the IOM warning that the death toll could still rise as bodies are identified.

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