Over 80 People Feared Drowned in Gulf of Aden

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 16, 2003

Over 80 People Feared Drowned in Gulf of Aden

More than 80 people are feared to have drowned in a recent boat disaster in Gulf of Aden, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said in Nairobi Wednesday.

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More than 80 people are feared to have drowned in a recent boat disaster in Gulf of Aden, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said in Nairobi Wednesday.

Ms Kitty McKinsey, regional spokesperson for UNHCR, told Xinhuaon the phone that the boat from Somalia to Yemen developed engine trouble and capsized in Gulf of Aden on Jan. 4.

About 23 people survived the disaster and were taken to the Yemeni port of Aden several days later on another boat coming fromSomalia, McKinsey said.

The spokeswoman said the survivors told the UNHCR that there were between 100 and 120 people, mostly Somalis and Ethiopians, onthe boat when it capsized.

According to the survivors, there was an explosion in the engine room which caused passengers to panic and move to the frontof the boat before it capsized.

When confirming the whereabouts of the captain, McKinsey said the captain disappeared when the boat capsized, adding that he is thus believed to be drowned.

Now the UN agency for refugees is looking after 13 Somali survivors in Aden, McKinsey said.

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