Geneva – The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said that a small rubber boat carrying 49 migrants and refugees capsized off Libya’s coast, leaving 42 thought dead.
The vessel set off from the Libyan town of Zuwara on November 3. About six hours later, heavy waves knocked out its engine and the boat flipped, sending everyone into the sea. The survivors were rescued after drifting for six days off the Al Buri Oil Field on November 8.
Seven people were found alive – four from Sudan, two from Nigeria and one from Cameroon. The 42 missing are believed dead, including 29 from Sudan, eight from Somalia, three from Cameroon and two from Nigeria.
The incident adds to a tragic tally this year: more than 1,000 migrants and refugees have died across the Central Mediterranean, says the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.
Earlier this week, Libyan authorities, part of the UN‑recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), carried out airstrikes on boats used by human‑trafficking networks in north‑western Libya. A state‑run TV post said the strikes near Zuwara Port, 120 km west of Tripoli, were precise and caused no civilian casualties. The Ministry of Defence says the operation is a key part of ongoing efforts to curb smuggling and halt migrants heading toward European shores.
Since the 2011 uprising, Libya’s insecurity has turned the country into a hotspot for desperate people trying to cross the Mediterranean.
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