The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters, said that most of the houses in the area were leveled and a fire broke out in the port city of Mokha. Most of the corpses, including children, women and elderly people, were charred by the flames, they said, AP reported.
Ahmed Mohammed al-Mouzay, a resident of the area who participated in rescue operations, said most of his neighbors had passed away. Many of the dead and wounded were transported in private cars or in animal-drawn carts drawn to hospitals, he added.
A security official said it was not possible to move the injured into the provincial capital because of road closures due to ongoing fighting.
Security officials said this comes after Saudi-led coalition planes launched dozens of airstrikes on positions of the Houthis and their allies in Mokha. The closest Houthi outpost to Friday evening's deadly strike is at least 5km away, officials and area residents said.
Saudi officials could not immediately be reached for comment.