Abyan: At least 55 irregular African migrants were killed when a boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, officials said Sunday. The boat, carrying dozens of migrants primarily from Ethiopia, sank at dawn off the coast of Abyan province in southern Yemen due to adverse weather conditions, as reported by a security source to Anadolu.

According to Anadolu Agency, the bodies of 25 Ethiopian migrants were retrieved from the shores of Shaqra and Zinjibar cities. Abdel Qader Bajameel, the director of the Health Office in Zinjibar, the provincial capital, confirmed to Anadolu that the bodies of 54 Ethiopians and one Yemeni have been recovered. Authorities are continuing the search for dozens of missing passengers, and Bajameel noted that all the victims have been buried.

Earlier Sunday, Abyan police released a statement indicating that rescue teams were engaged in a large-scale humanitarian operation to recover the bodies. They added that the migrants attempted to reach Yemen via a smuggling boat from the Horn of Africa.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 60,000 illegal migrants have arrived in Yemen in 2024 alone. Yemen serves as a common destination for hundreds of illegal migrants from the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia and Ethiopia, who embark on this dangerous journey with hopes of reaching Gulf countries to pursue better living conditions.