- A ship capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya.
- Rescuers provide emergency medical care to survivors.
- Boat carrying migrants and refugees to Al-Zawiya from Africa.
The U.N. migration agency said Monday that 53 people were dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. Only two survivors were rescued.
The International Organization for Migration said the boat capsized north of Zuwara on Friday.
“Only two Nigerian women were rescued during a search and rescue operation by Libyan authorities,” the IOM said in a statement, adding that one of the survivors said she lost her husband and the other said she “lost her two babies in the tragedy.”
The IOM said its teams provided the two survivors with emergency medical care upon disembarking.
“According to survivors’ accounts, the boat, carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities, departed Al-Zawiya, Libya, around 11:00 p.m. on February 5. Approximately six hours later, it capsized after taking on water,” the agency said.
“IOM regrets the loss of life in another deadly incident along the central Mediterranean route.”
The Geneva-based agency said smuggling and trafficking networks were exploiting migrants along the route from North Africa to Southern Europe, profiting from dangerous crossings on unseaworthy boats while exposing people to “serious abuse”.
He called for stronger international cooperation to tackle the networks, along with safe and regular migration pathways to reduce risks and save lives.
