MOGADISHU\/ANTANANARIVO
\nAt least 22 Somali citizens died when two migrant boats capsized off the coast of Madagascar over the weekend, Somalia\u2019s Information Minister Daud Aweis said.
\nMadagascar\u2019s Port, Maritime, and River Authority (APMF) said the boats had set sail from Somalia for the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Nov. 2, a journey of several hundred kilometers.
\nOn Saturday, the port authority reported that local fishermen discovered the first boat drifting on Friday near Nosy Iranja. They rescued 25 people, including 10 men and 15 women, but seven occupants died, the authority said.
\nA second boat carrying 38 people arrived at Madagascar\u2019s Port du Crat\u00e8re, according to APMF. The maritime authority did not disclose a death toll for the second boat but confirmed the rescue of 23 people.
\nSomali Information Minister Aweis, citing information from his counterparts in Madagascar, confirmed the total death toll at 22.
\n\u201cThey were about 70 Somalis, 22 of them died. One boat was carrying 38 people and the other boat was carrying 32 people,\u201d Aweis said on state-owned television late on Sunday.
\nIn recent decades thousands of people have attempted to make the crossing to Mayotte, which has a higher standard of living and access to the French welfare system. Mayotte is officially part of France, although Comoros claims it.
\nAweis said Somalia will investigate where the boats sailed from, terming those who organized the trip as criminals involved in illicit immigration. \u201cThis is also a message of warning to those who want to immigrate illegally before they go and die in such manner. It is unfortunate people still go despite danger,\u201d he added.
\nIn early November, at least 25 people died off Comoros islands after traffickers capsized their boat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MOGADISHU\/ANTANANARIVO At least 22 Somali citizens died when two migrant boats capsized off the coast of Madagascar over the weekend, Somalia\u2019s Information Minister Daud Aweis said. Madagascar\u2019s Port, Maritime, and River Authority (APMF) said the boats had set sail from Somalia for the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Nov. 2, a journey of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":445763,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-445741","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n