At least 76 people have been killed and dozens are missing after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank off Yemen in the latest tragedy on the perilous sea route, officials said.

Dozens are missing after a boat carrying more than 150 migrants, many believed to be Ethiopian, sank in bad weather.

The vessel capsized along a heavily traveled but treacherous route for Africans transiting the war-torn country to find work in the rich Gulf states.