⚓️💔 Migrant boat capsizes off Libya, leaving 53 dead or missing

Oneliner

A migrant boat capsized off the coast of Libya, resulting in at least 53 deaths or disappearances, including two infants. Only two Nigerian women survived the incident. The International Organization for Migration reported that this tragedy highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants on the central Mediterranean route, where the death toll has reached 484 in 2026. Trafficking networks continue to exploit vulnerable migrants, often using unseaworthy vessels, while those returned to Libya face severe abuses in detention centers.

Key points

• At least 53 migrants, including two babies, are dead or missing after a boat capsized off Libya.
• Only two survivors, both Nigerian women, were rescued by Libyan authorities.
• The incident highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants on the central Mediterranean route.
• In 2026, the death toll on this route has reached 484, with over 1,300 reported in 2025.

Links

• La Libre: Drame en Méditerranée : seuls deux survivants après le naufrage d’un bateau de migrants au large de la Lybie
• El País: Más de 50 migrantes muertos, entre ellos dos bebés, al volcar el bote de goma en el que viajaban frente a la costa de Libia
• Associated Press: Babies are among 53 dead or missing after a migrant boat sinks off Libya, UN says
• ABC: Al menos 53 inmigrantes desaparecidos tras el naufragio de una embarcación frente a las costas de Libia
• Público: Al menos 53 personas desaparecidas, entre ellas dos bebés, al naufragar una patera frente a Libia

Facts

• 53 migrants are dead or missing after a boat capsized off Zuwara, Libya.
• Only two survivors were rescued, both Nigerian women.
• The boat sank six hours after departing from Al Zawiya.
• In 2026, the death toll on the central Mediterranean route has reached 484.
• In 2025, over 1,300 migrants were reported dead or missing on this route.

Quotes

• These repeated incidents underscore the persistent and deadly risks faced by migrants and refugees attempting the dangerous crossing — IOM statement.

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