19 presumed dead off Libya coast as migrant boat capsizes

Agencies | Cairo

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A boat carrying around two dozen migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya on Saturday, with at least 19 people missing and presumed dead, authorities said.

Libya’s coast guard said that a group of 23 migrants, both Egyptians and Syrians, set off from the eastern city of Tobruk. Three migrants were rescued and taken to hospital. Only one body was retrieved and search efforts were ongoing, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The shipwreck is the latest tragedy at sea involving migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean from the North African nation in a desperate attempt to reach European shores. Libya has emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, hoping for a better life in Europe.

At least 192 migrants drowned along the Central Mediterranean route in the first two months of 2022, the International Organization for Migration said. More than 2,930 were intercepted and taken back to Libya.

In 2021, at least 32,425 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya. At least 1,553 are presumed to have drowned last year, according to IOM.