Officials in Madagascar confirmed Monday that 25 Somali migrants have died after two motorboats capsized in the Indian Ocean.
The boats, carrying 73 migrants, capsized near the island of Nosy Be off northern Madagascar after nearly a month at sea.
Authorities rescued 48 survivors on Sunday, with ages ranging from 17 to 50, according to Madagascar’s Maritime Ports Agency head Jean-Edmond Randrianantenaina.
The migrants departed from a beach near Mogadishu, Somalia, on November 2, aiming to reach Mayotte, a French island territory 1,600 kilometers away.
Somali officials initially reported 24 fatalities on Sunday, but the number increased as rescue efforts continued. The cause of the capsizing remains unclear.
An investigation is underway, and Somalia plans to send a delegation to Madagascar to organize the repatriation of its citizens.
Madagascar’s foreign ministry has requested assistance from the U.N. International Organization for Migration to address the crisis.
The tragedy highlights the growing peril of irregular migration as Somalis flee conflict and drought in search of better opportunities.
In April, 38 migrants died and 22 were rescued in a shipwreck off Djibouti, another deadly incident on routes from the Horn of Africa.
The U.N. has repeatedly warned of increasing risks for migrants on these dangerous journeys, driven by desperation and hope for a better life.
