(MENAFN) A tragic shipwreck off the coast of Yemen has left at least 76 people dead and dozens more unaccounted for, after a vessel carrying primarily Ethiopian migrants sank in the Gulf of Aden, officials confirmed on Monday.

Yemeni security sources reported that 76 bodies had been recovered from the waters, while 32 individuals were rescued. The UN migration agency stated that the boat was carrying 157 people at the time of the disaster.

Describing the incident, the International Organization for Migration’s chief of mission in Yemen, Abdusattor Esoev, called it “one of the deadliest” migrant boat disasters near Yemen this year.

The vessel had been en route to the southern Yemeni province of Abyan, a known landing point for migrant boats transporting people from the Horn of Africa, particularly Ethiopia, who seek passage to wealthier Gulf nations.

Some of the survivors were transferred to the nearby city of Aden, according to a local security official. The UN had earlier reported a death toll of at least 68, with the number rising as more bodies were recovered. “The fate of the missing is still unknown,” Esoev stated.

Despite years of conflict since 2014, Yemen continues to serve as a major corridor for irregular migration, especially for Ethiopians fleeing their country’s own internal unrest and ethnic violence.

Reacting to the news, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, conveyed that the Pope was “deeply saddened by the devastating loss of life.”

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