Two boats carrying migrants sink in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti, killing 45 people, the UN says

Two ships carrying migrants from Africa sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti, killing 45 people, the UN migration agency said on Tuesday.

The boats left Yemen with 310 people, the International Organization for Migration said.

Thousands of migrants from countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia seeking a better life in Europe attempt to immigrate irregularly every year. Smugglers load ships full of desperate people willing to risk their lives to get to continental Europe.

The UN agency supporting search and rescue efforts said on social media platform X that 32 survivors had been rescued.

Djibouti's coast guard said the tragedy occurred about 150 meters off a beach near the northwestern Khor Angar region. It said a joint rescue operation was underway, which began early Monday. It said 115 survivors had been rescued.

“We remain committed to finding the missing people and ensuring the safety of survivors,” the agency said in a statement posted on social media with images of white body bags.