The Somali government says it will begin evacuating the survivors of two boats, carrying mostly Somali migrants, which capsized off the coast of Madagascar.
Twenty-four passengers were killed while 46 others survived.
The passengers were attempting to migrate in search of a better life, away from Somalia’s chronic drought, violence and food insecurity.
During a news briefing in Mogadishu, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalin Fiqi confirmed the fatality figures from the capsizing of two boats off the coast of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean on Saturday.
On Saturday, the port authority reported that local fishermen discovered the first boat drifting on Friday near Nosy Iranja. They rescued 25 people, including 10 men and 15 women, but seven occupants died, the authority said.
A second boat carrying 38 people arrived at Madagascar’s Port du Cratère, according to APMF. The maritime authority did not disclose a death toll for the second boat but confirmed the rescue of 23 people.
Somali Information Minister Aweis, citing information from his counterparts in Madagascar, confirmed the total death toll at 22.
“They were about 70 Somalis, 24 of them died.
One boat was carrying 38 people and the other boat was carrying 32 people,” Aweis said on state-owned television late on Sunday.
