At least 18 African refugees drowned off the Comoros after smugglers forced them into the sea some distance from shore while attempting to reach the French island of Mayotte, officials and rescuers said Thursday. About 30 others survived.
The group had been set adrift near Mitsamiouli on the northern tip of Grande Comore. Many people who entered the water could not swim.
Survivors said they had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo and were bound for Mayotte, a French overseas territory whose public services and infrastructure draw migrants. A 25-year-old survivor, describing his route from North Kivu, said: “I spent three days in the forest. Then I took a bus to Dar es Salaam. From there, we took a boat. The journey lasted seven days. Very quickly, we could tell the captain was lost. At one point, we had no bread or water.”
Security officials estimated about 50 people had been on board the smuggling vessel.
A resident of Mitsamiouli said locals heard cries from the water while watching a football match. “We found men, women, children — they thought they had reached Mayotte,” the resident said. In fact, they were nearly 200 kilometres short of their destination.
On Grande Comore, residents, fishermen and authorities recovered bodies from the water, the interior minister said. The coastguard continued searching for four people still missing.
Mayotte, despite being France’s poorest department, remains a strong draw for migrants from across Africa and the Comoros. Many pay smugglers for the hazardous sea crossing; the UN migration agency says thousands have died on the route in recent years. In 2024 at least 25 people died near Mayotte when a smuggling boat capsized, the agency reported.
Authorities and local rescuers were involved in recovery and search efforts as investigations into the incident continued.