ALBAWABA- Seven Yemeni fishermen died early Sunday after their wooden boat capsized in stormy waters off the Aden coast, Yemeni maritime authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
The crew had been returning from an overnight fishing trip in the Gulf of Aden when sudden high winds struck around 3 a.m., overturning their 12-meter dhow and tossing all aboard into rough seas.
Rescue teams from the Yemeni Coast Guard, assisted by local fishing cooperatives, recovered six bodies by midday. A seventh was found drifting several kilometers offshore. Two survivors, both in their 40s, were hospitalized with exposure-related symptoms and are now in stable condition.
Captain Ahmed al-Mansoori, head of Aden’s maritime rescue operations, said the crew was caught in “unseasonable, deadly weather” and stressed that fishermen remain “the backbone of the economy yet operate without adequate safety gear.”
Preliminary findings suggest mechanical failure worsened by the storm, compounded by a lack of life jackets and emergency beacons, common shortcomings in Yemen’s under-equipped fleet.
The IOM noted that at least 22 fishermen have died in similar incidents off Yemen’s southern coast this year and urged donors to fund essential safety equipment.
