Boat sinks in Red Sea killing 197 migrants
A boat packed with illegal migrants bound for Saudi Arabia caught fire and capsized off the northeastern coast of Sudan, killing nearly 200 people.
One hundred and ninety seven people from neighbouring countries drowned in the Red Sea, inside Sudanese territorial waters, following the burning of the boat that was illegally transporting migrants to Saudi Arabia. The fire broke out in the boat after four hours at sea.
Only three people were rescued, local news agencies reported.
The owners of the boat, all Yemenis, have been arrested, the Sudanese Media Centre said.
The boat had several nationalities on board, including Somalians, Eritreans, Ethiopians and Sudanese.
Sudan has experienced several other incidents of illegal migrants drowning off the coast on their way to nearby countries in past years.
