At least 49 dead and 140 missing after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, a UN agency said

At least 49 migrants have died and 140 others are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, a United Nations agency said on Tuesday.

The International Organization for Migration said in a press release that the ship carrying 260 migrants capsized near Alghareef Point in Shabwah province on Monday. Among the fatalities were 31 women and six children, the IOM said.

The boat left Somalia on Sunday and was carrying 115 Somali citizens and 145 Ethiopians on board who were on their way to Yemen.

Yemen lies opposite the African coastal state of Somalia on the Gulf of Aden.

The IOM said it had dispatched two medical teams to provide immediate assistance to survivors. The organization said 63 people required first aid and minor treatment, and eight required further medical attention and were referred to hospital.

Search and rescue operations for the 140 missing people continue, despite challenges due to a lack of operational patrol boats.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Migrant boat capsizes off Yemen coast, killing at least 49 – UN agency