A boat accident off the coast of Madagascar has resulted in the deaths of at least 22 migrants, authorities confirmed on Saturday.

Twenty-two individuals lost their lives when two boats carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, as confirmed by an official on Saturday.

Abdullahi Warfa, the Somali Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union, stated in an interview with state-run Radio Mogadishu that the boats had been carrying 70 passengers, all of whom were Somali nationals. While he did not specify the exact date of the incident, Warfa confirmed that the bodies were recovered on Saturday. He further reported that 48 passengers were rescued by fishermen and were subsequently taken for medical treatment.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is currently underway, and Warfa indicated that the names of the victims will be made public through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the government has not yet provided further details on what led to the disaster.

The number of migrant deaths in the Indian Ocean has risen significantly in 2024. Earlier this month, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that at least 24 people died when a boat sank off the coast of the Comoros Islands. The UN agency revealed that among the victims were women, children, and infants, and that the boat had been intentionally capsized by human traffickers.

Additionally, in September, a boat carrying 12 people— including two children and a pregnant woman—left the coast of Anjouan in the Comoros Islands but failed to reach Mayotte, a French department in the Comoros archipelago. In August, a similar tragedy occurred, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, including a 12-year-old boy.

Thousands have died attempting to make the perilous journey across the Indian Ocean, often in an effort to reach the contested island of Mayotte.