MOGADISHU, Somalia — 24 people died after two boats capsized off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, the Somali government said on Sunday.
Somalia's Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said 46 people were rescued.
“We are working hard to ensure that the survivors are returned home safely and provided with proper care,” he said.
Most of the passengers were young Somalis, and their destination is still unclear. Every year many young Somalis embark on the perilous journey to seek better opportunities abroad.
A delegation led by the Somali ambassador in Ethiopia is scheduled to go to Madagascar on Monday to investigate the incident and coordinate efforts to help the survivors.
Fiqi also said on Sunday that the Somali embassy in Morocco will look into a separate report on the Somali youth stranded on the Moroccan coast. It is unclear when the incident in Morocco took place and Fiqi did not provide details.
The UN Migration Agency has in the past expressed concern over the increase in cases of irregular migration in countries in the Horn of Africa as people flee conflict and drought.
In April, 38 migrants died and 22 others were rescued in a shipwreck from Djibouti on the popular route to Yemen. Most of those rescued were from Somalia and Ethiopia.
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