(MENAFN) A smuggling boat carrying approximately 150 African migrants capsized off the coast of Abyan Province in southern Yemen, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 people, with dozens still unaccounted for, according to local sources.

A local official, speaking anonymously, reported that the boat overturned late Saturday night around 11:00 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) due to severe winds.

Rescue teams recovered over 20 bodies along the shores near Shaqra and Zinjibar early Sunday morning. Additionally, 12 survivors were saved and taken to Shaqra General Hospital for medical care. Many migrants remain missing, the official noted.

Security forces in Abyan have launched a large-scale humanitarian operation to recover the bodies of those who drowned. A statement from the Abyan Security Directorate confirmed ongoing efforts to retrieve the remains of numerous irregular migrants, primarily of Ethiopian origin, who lost their lives while trying to enter Yemen illegally via smuggling boats from the Horn of Africa.

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