Almost 200 illegal African migrants have drowned to death when their boat sunk in the Red Sea off the Sudanese coast, according to Sudan’s media.

The state-controlled Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) said only three people survived. They were headed towards Saudi Arabia.

SMC indicated that a fire erupted on the vessel during the ill-fated voyage that carried migrants from Sudan’s neighboring countries. Go

It remains unclear where the ship embarked from.

According to reports, many Africans are trafficked across the Red Sea towards Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Four Yemenis who are believed to have owned the boat were arrested, according to the SMC report.

The SMC also said that another boat trying to smuggle 247 migrants (primarily from Chad, Nigeria, Somalia and Eritrea) was stopped and turned back by authorities.

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