Fourteen migrants dead after boat stranded for eight days off Tanzania

At least 14 migrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and the Comoros have died, and 22 others have been rescued after their vessel suffered engine failure off Tanzania's Mafia Island while attempting to reach the French island territory of Mayotte, local authorities reported on Saturday, July 25.

Mafia District Commissioner Aziza Mangosongo confirmed to Xinhua by phone that the 22 survivors were located on July 22 along the shores of Kungwi Village in Baleni Ward. The rescue came after their boat experienced severe mechanical problems, leaving the group stranded before reaching their intended destination.

"Fourteen migrants died after the vessel encountered difficulties at sea," Mangosongo said, adding that the passengers were making the perilous journey to Mayotte — a French overseas department — in search of improved economic prospects.

According to Mangosongo, the vessel was caught in a storm while navigating the open sea, where rough marine conditions caused its engine to fail. Citing testimonies from the survivors, she noted that the disabled boat drifted helplessly in open waters for eight days before making landfall and being discovered on the shores of Mafia Island.

By Tamilla Hasanova