8 die as smuggling boat carrying 100 Somalis sinks off Yemen

ADEN, March 22(Saba) - Yemeni coastguards in association with
international forces stationed in the Indian Ocean have rescued 92
Somali refugees, most of whom were old people, women and children,
as their boat capsized in the Gulf of Aden.

They also recovered 8 bodies drowned about 130 nautical miles off
Yemen coast.

Coastguard spokesman said the rescue operation occurred after a ship
affiliated to international forces, a French warship, informed them
about the sinking accident.

First the French ship started rescuing the refugees and after Yemeni
coastguards knew about the accident they moved to the scene and
helped rescuing the afflicted Africans.

The boat sank while it was smuggling 100 African displaced people
into Yemen.

19 refugees who were in critical condition were taken to the
Republican Hospital in Aden.

Somali refugees flee deteriorating conditions in their homeland with
Yemen being the first destination.

They reach Yemeni coastlines almost in daily numbers. Many drown as
overcrowded boats capsize or as smugglers force them to swim in deep
waters off Yemeni coasts.

In January, a ferry carrying more than 300 African refugees, Somalis
and Ethiopians sank off the Bab El-Mandab strait. While many were
rescued, dozens were missing and presumed dead.

Last figures suggest the number of Somali refugees in Yemen exceeds
700.000 people.