Key facts
- Approximately 50 migrants are feared lost after their boat capsized off Libya.
Around 50 migrants, including women and children, are feared lost at sea after their boat capsized off the coast of Libya. Ten survivors were rescued near El-Bardaa Island, some 70 km west of Tobruk. The boat was reportedly carrying about 60 migrants from sub-Saharan countries.
The incidents highlight the ongoing perilous journeys undertaken by migrants attempting to reach Europe via North Africa, underscoring the severe humanitarian risks associated with irregular migration routes and the instability in Libya.
At least 50 migrants, including women and children, are feared lost at sea after their wooden boat capsized off the eastern coast of Libya on Tuesday. Ten survivors were rescued near El-Bardaa Island, approximately 70 km west of Tobruk, according to two security sources who spoke to Reuters.
The boat was reportedly carrying about 60 migrants from various sub-Saharan countries when it set sail early in the morning. Libya has been a primary transit route for migrants seeking to reach Europe since 2011.
In a separate incident on Monday, rescue teams in Tobruk recovered four bodies and rescued 24 migrants whose boat was found adrift in Libyan waters for two weeks. One security source stated these migrants faced extremely harsh conditions on a dilapidated vessel, leading to the deaths of four individuals before rescue. The survivors from this second incident were taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. In June, authorities in Tobruk recovered approximately 26 bodies after another migrant boat capsized near the city.
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