At least 68 African migrants lost their lives and 74 others remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying them capsized off Yemen’s coast on Sunday, according to the United Nations migration agency.

The incident adds to a growing number of deadly shipwrecks in the region, where migrants—mainly from Africa—risk dangerous sea journeys in hopes of reaching the oil-rich Gulf nations to escape conflict and poverty.

The boat, carrying 154 Ethiopian nationals, sank in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen’s southern Abyan province early Sunday, said Abdusattor Esoev, the head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Yemen.

He confirmed that 54 bodies were recovered along the Khanfar district shoreline, while another 14 were taken to a hospital morgue in Zinjibar, Abyan’s provincial capital. Only 12 people are known to have survived the disaster. The remaining passengers are presumed dead.

Abyan’s security authorities reported a large-scale search and rescue operation due to the high number of casualties. They noted that bodies were found scattered along a broad stretch of coastline.

In recent months, hundreds of migrants have died or gone missing in similar tragedies near Yemen. In one March incident, four boats capsized off the coasts of Yemen and Djibouti, leaving at least two dead and 186 missing.

The IOM reported that over 60,000 migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024—a decrease from 97,200 in 2023—likely due to increased maritime patrols.