At least 139 dead after migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti

The Big Picture

At least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died after a boat carrying 305 people capsized off Djibouti while traveling to Yemen, the International Organization for Migration said. A further 84 people remained missing as search, recovery and survivor-assistance operations continued.

The shipwreck is among the deadliest recent incidents on the migration corridor linking the Horn of Africa with Yemen and, beyond it, Gulf countries. The route across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is used by migrants seeking work and safety, despite the risks of sea crossings and instability in the region.

What Happened

The vessel departed Djibouti for Yemen after passengers boarded on the evening of Oct. 8, according to the IOM. It capsized on Thursday night or before dawn on Friday.

Reports differed on the precise location. Al Jazeera initially said survivors placed the incident near Guhere on Djibouti's eastern coast, while BBC News and other reporting cited by the IOM placed it near the port town of Obock. Both locations are on the Djiboutian coast facing the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The IOM said about 82 people survived or were rescued, all Ethiopian nationals. Authorities initially reported 109 deaths, but the agency later raised the toll to 139 after 30 additional bodies were recovered. The death toll could rise as 84 people remain unaccounted for.

Alexandre Coissac, the IOM's chief of mission in Djibouti, called the shipwreck a "devastating loss of life" and said it was a reminder of the dangers confronting migrants on the corridor. In comments reported by CNN, Coissac said the boat sank soon after leaving shore and was mainly overcrowded.

What Happens Next

Djiboutian authorities have continued search-and-rescue and recovery operations and are arranging burials for those who died, according to BBC News. The IOM has been providing emergency support, including medical care, to survivors at its response center in Obock.

BBC News reported that the IOM was assisting 64 survivors at the center with healthcare and help reconnecting with family members. Coissac said survivors were in shock, according to CNN's report.

Background

The Bab el-Mandeb crossing is a narrow waterway between Djibouti and Yemen that serves as a dangerous passage for people from the Horn of Africa, many of whom hope to reach Gulf countries for employment or safety. The IOM said it recorded more than 20,000 movements from Ethiopia to Djibouti since Sept. 10.

More than 900 migrants died or went missing on the same route in 2025, according to IOM statistics cited by the BBC and Al Jazeera. The agency said the continued movement reflects the pressures facing migrants despite conflict in Yemen and wider regional instability.

IOM Director-General Amy Pope said in remarks reported by CNN that safe and legal migration pathways were needed to prevent further deaths. "We cannot keep treating these deaths as normal," she said.