ANTANANARIVO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 migrants have died in a boat incident off the Comoros, the country's Interior Minister Mohamed Ahmed Assoumani said on Thursday.
"Of the 51 migrants brought here by the boat, only 30 are alive today," he said, adding that eight bodies were recovered Wednesday night, followed by nine more on Thursday morning, while four people remain missing.
The minister said that the survivors have been taken to the hospital, and the coast guard continues search operations.
The survivors are believed to be from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, though their identities are still being verified, and they were reportedly planning to travel to Mayotte.
The minister added that this is the first time the country has faced such a high death toll, with two babies among the victims. ■