Migrants die off Tanzania

Migrant boat capsizes.

Ethiopian migrants drown in Indian Ocean

Seven Ethiopian migrants have drowned after a boat carrying 13 people capsized off the coast of Tanzania, Reuters news agency reports quoting the police boss in north-eastern Tanga region.

“Of the people onboard, 12 were Ethiopians and another person, who was the boat captain, [his] nationality has not been identified because he is still missing,” police commander Edward Bukombe said.

Mr Bukombe said five have been rescued and the search was ongoing for the missing person.

He said Tanzania’s immigration service was in touch with the Ethiopian embassy to arrange for burial arrangements for the dead.

The survivors told police that they were en route to South Africa.

Mr Bukombe said investigators had yet to identify those who had organised and financed the trip, saying the missing captain could have helped much more with the investigation.

He added that it was not unusual for Tanzanian police to intercept and detain Ethiopian economic migrants on their way to South Africa.

Source: bbc.co.uk