Fifty Migrants Feared Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Libya
Ten survivors rescued as another deadly Mediterranean migrant crossing ends in tragedy.
- 50 migrants feared dead.
- 10 survivors rescued off Libya.
- Boat carried about 60 people.
At least 50 migrants are feared dead after a wooden boat carrying around 60 people capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya’s eastern coast on Tuesday, according to security sources.
Ten survivors were rescued near El-Bardaa Island, about 70 kilometres west of Tobruk, close to the Egyptian border. The survivors reportedly said the overcrowded vessel had departed early that morning.
The migrants, believed to be from several sub-Saharan African countries, were attempting the dangerous journey to Europe via the Mediterranean. Libya has remained a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict, poverty and instability since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
In a separate incident, rescue teams in Tobruk recovered four bodies on Monday and rescued 24 migrants after their boat drifted in Libyan waters for nearly two weeks. Security sources said the vessel carried 28 people, four of whom died after enduring severe humanitarian conditions aboard the deteriorating boat.
The rescued migrants were taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.
The latest tragedy adds to a growing number of deadly migrant crossings in the Mediterranean. In June, authorities in Tobruk recovered about 26 bodies after another migrant boat capsized near the city.
