35 people rescued from ferry that sank off Yemen

At least 35 of the 64 people who were on a ferry that sank off Yemen have been rescued, a Yemeni minister said today.

Rescue teams continued to look for survivors from the boat that was en route from Hadramout province in mainland Yemen to the island of Socotra, Fisheries Minister Fahad Kaffen said on his Facebook page.

Socotra and Hadramout are under the control of the government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, which is in a war with the Houthis who control most of northern Yemen.

The Aden Al-Ghad news website said the ship was believed to have suffered an accident and authorities at Hadramout’s Mukalla port lost contact with it yesterday evening.

It sank 40 kilometres northwest of Socotra, an archipelago some 380 kilometres south of mainland Yemen.

The government has appealed for help from its allies in the Saudi-led military coalition, which has a naval presence in the area.