Navy says it was aiding broken-down ship off Somali when it capsized, killing at least 13

Navy says 13 die during rescue of boat off Somalia

WASHINGTON — The Navy says it was providing humanitarian supplies to passengers aboard a broken-down boat off the coast of Somalia on Monday when the boat suddenly capsized, killing at least 13 of its passengers.

Another eight passengers were still missing.

The Navy says the skiff was found adrift in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday with about 10 Somalis and 75 Ethiopians on board. The USS Winston S. Churchill, a Navy warship assigned to an anti-piracy task force, was unable to restart the boat’s engine and towed it toward the Somali coast.

The next morning, Navy personnel said they were transferring humanitarian supplies to the skiff when the passengers rushed to one side and the boat sank, putting all 85 passengers into the water.