At least 25 dead after smugglers deliberately capsize an inflatable boat

At least 25 dead after smugglers deliberately capsize an inflatable boat

At least 25 people, including several children, have died after their boat was deliberately capsized by human traffickers near the Comoros Islands, the local office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday.

Tragic incident off the Comoros

“The IOM Comoros is saddened by the news of the death of at least 25 people after their boat was deliberately capsized by human traffickers off the Comoros, between Anjouan and Mayotte, on Friday evening,” the UN agency said in a press release.

Rescued survivors report

The boat had about 30 people on board, including seven women and four children. The IOM reported this, citing five survivors who were rescued by fishermen on Saturday morning.

incidents in the last few months

The IOM points out that this incident is the third in the last three months in the same region: in September, a boat with 12 people on board, including two children and a pregnant woman, disappeared as it left the coast of Anjouan and never reached Mayotte. Another incident occurred in August when eight people - including a 12-year-old boy - died.

Migration on dangerous routes

“Since 2011, thousands of people have died on this migration route while attempting to reach the disputed island of Mayotte, part of the Comoros archipelago and a French department,” the IOM continued.

Call for safe migration routes

The agency stressed the “importance of creating safe and legal migration routes” to prevent such tragedies in the future.