A total of 64 African migrants drowned Wednesday evening when they were trying to cross the Gulf of Aden from Somalia to Yemen, the official Saba news agency reported Thursday.

Three children and seven women were among those drowned after the ship trafficking them from the Horn of Africa to the shores of Shabwa sank.

Eyewitnesses said that fishermen and naval forces managed to bring out 49 bodies while 15 bodies have been thrown to coasts of Redhoom district in Shabwa governorate.

Eyewitnesses said that 25 migrants survived after they swam to Shabwa coasts.

(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2007)