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A representative image depicts a ship capsizing in the ocean — Reuters
– A boat sinks off the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean Sea.
– Rescue teams immediately give emergency medical aid to those who survive.
– The ship was transporting migrants and refugees from Africa to Al-Zawiya.
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The UN migration agency announced Monday that 53 individuals have died or gone missing following the sinking of a boat in the Mediterranean Sea near Libya. Only two people have been rescued so far.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the vessel capsized north of Zuwara on Friday.
“During a search and rescue operation conducted by Libyan authorities, only two Nigerian women were rescued,” the IOM said in a statement. One survivor recounted that she had lost her husband, while the other said she lost her two babies in the disaster.
The IOM added that its teams provided medical assistance to both survivors immediately after they disembarked.
According to survivor testimonies, the boat, carrying migrants and refugees from various African countries, left Al-Zawiya, Libya, around 11 p.m. on February 5. About six hours later, it capsized after taking on water.
The agency expressed mourning over the lives lost in what is now a recurring tragedy along the central Mediterranean route.
The Geneva-based organization highlighted that trafficking and smuggling networks are preying on migrants traveling from North Africa to Southern Europe. These criminal groups are profiting from perilous journeys on unseaworthy vessels, putting individuals through severe abuse.
It urged for increased international cooperation to dismantle these networks, and emphasized the importance of establishing safe, legal migration pathways to lower risks and prevent future tragedies.
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