Somali, Ethiopian refugees drowned off the Yemeni coasts

The UNHCR has stated that it stopped search operations for survivors in a boat drowning incident which was carrying Somali and Ethiopian refugees off Yemen on January 4. About 100 persons are expected to have been be killed in the incident.

The spokesman for the UNHCR Peter Kissler said that the boat had left Bosaso port in Somalia by the beginning of this month heading from Yemen or Saudi Arabia, adding according to testimonies made by survivors that an explosion took place in the engine of the boat and caused a fire that pushed that boat's 120 passengers to throw themselves in the sea.

About 25 persons were rescued by other boats that arrived to the site of the incident after two hours from its occurrence, The survivors were taken to Yemen at a camp run by the UNHCR.