Fifty-three migrants, including two infants, were dead or missing after their rubber boat capsized off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday.
The vessel, which was carrying 55 people, overturned on Friday north of the city of Zuwara, northwestern Libya. Only two survivors, both Nigerian women, were rescued by Libyan authorities. One survivor reported losing her husband in the wreck; the other lost her two children, the IOM said.
The boat departed from the western city of Al-Zawiya late on Feb. 5. Survivors told the UN migration agency the craft began taking on water and capsized about six hours into the journey.
The IOM said its teams provided emergency medical aid to the women. The Central Mediterranean remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, with the latest tragedy bringing the 2026 death toll to at least 484.
The agency warned that smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants by using unseaworthy vessels and called for “protection-centered” international responses and safer legal pathways for migration.
Libya has long been a major transit point for irregular migrants due to its geographic proximity to Europe and its long Mediterranean coastline. Since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, prolonged instability and weak border control have allowed smuggling networks to operate with relative ease.
