# 139 dead as migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti

> A vessel carrying over 300 migrants sank near the Horn of Africa, making it one of the deadliest shipwrecks on a route to the Gulf.
- Title: 139 dead as migrant boat capsizes off Djibouti · CBS News
- Summary: A vessel carrying over 300 migrants sank near the Horn of Africa, making it one of the deadliest shipwrecks on a route to the Gulf. At least one hundred…
- Keywords: djibouti, migrant boat capsizes, horn of africa, arabian peninsula migration, international organization for migration, yemen crossing, shipwreck deaths, news, 139, dead, migrant, boat
- Source: CBS News — https://cbsnews.com/news/migrant-boat-capsizes-djibouti-over-100-dead
- Published: 2026-10-12T10:45:43+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: djibouti, migrant boat capsizes, horn of africa, arabian peninsula migration, international organization for migration, yemen crossing, shipwreck deaths, news
## Boat carrying migrants capsizes off Djibouti
At least one hundred thirty nine people, including fifteen children, died when a boat carrying more than three hundred migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti in east Africa, the International Organization for Migration said…
## Many buried without names in common grave
The one hundred thirty nine death count includes only those buried by authorities in Djibouti. Others have been buried by migrants themselves but won't be added to the official count until authorities verify the bodies.

> What is terrible is that they were buried with no names, in a common grave, like in a war situation.
## Boat sank soon after departure due to overcrowding
The migrants boarded the ship on the evening of October eighth and it sank very soon after, close to the shore, mainly because it was overcrowded, according to Alexandre Coissac, IOM chief of mission in…
## Local authorities overwhelmed by scale of disaster
Local authorities did their best but were overwhelmed with all the bodies that kept coming at once towards the shore, Coissac said. More than eighty people survived the shipwreck, all Ethiopian nationals.

> they were overwhelmed with all the bodies that kept coming at once towards the shore.
## Survivors in shock, some learning of family deaths
Authorities brought surviving migrants to the IOM rescue center in Obock where they receive medical assistance and psychological support.Some are already aware family members died.Others were given phones to call loved ones back home.

> They're all in a state of shock.
## One of deadliest shipwrecks on perilous migration route
At least eighty four people remained missing.The boat was traveling from Djibouti to Yemen when it capsized.
## IOM calls for safe pathways to prevent future deaths
IOM Director-General Amy Pope said no one gets into a boat like that unless they believe there is no other safe way, and called on governments and donors to act before the next boat goes…

> Safe and legal pathways save lives. I am asking governments and donors to act before the next boat goes down.
## Key takeaway

At least one hundred thirty nine people, including fifteen children, died when a migrant boat capsized off Djibouti on October eighth, with authorities overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster.