Tragedy in the Mediterranean as Migrant Boats Capsize
At least four people have died after two boats carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. The tragic incident occurred near the coastal city of Al Khums, approximately 118 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli.
The first vessel was carrying 26 migrants from Bangladesh, four of whom lost their lives when the boat overturned late on Thursday. Rescue operations involving the Red Crescent, Coast Guard, and Khums Port Security Agency managed to recover the bodies and assist survivors.
Uncertain Fate for Second Vessel
A second boat carrying 69 people, including two Egyptians and dozens of Sudanese nationals among them children, remains unaccounted for. The status of this vessel and its passengers is currently unclear, raising fears of additional casualties.
Disturbing images released by the Red Crescent show volunteers administering first aid to survivors while bodies lay nearby in black plastic bags. Other photographs depict rescued migrants wrapped in silver thermal blankets, sitting on the ground as emergency workers moved among them.
The bodies recovered from the first vessel have been handed over to relevant authorities following instructions from the city's public prosecution office.
Growing Crisis in Central Mediterranean
This latest shipwreck adds to the escalating death toll in the Central Mediterranean, where more than 1,000 people have died since the beginning of 2025. According to the IOM's Missing Migrants Project, over 500 of these deaths occurred off the Libyan coast alone.
Libya has served as a major transit hub for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and Asia since the 2011 NATO bombing campaign that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, plunging the nation into prolonged chaos.
This incident follows other recent tragedies, including:
- The disappearance of 42 migrants presumed dead after a rubber boat sank near the Al Buri oilfield
- The capsizing of a wooden migrant boat in October that killed 18 people, with 64 survivors from Sudan, Bangladesh and Pakistan
Despite repeated calls from European authorities for Libya to improve coastal monitoring and safety conditions, rights groups maintain that the situation for migrants remains dangerously precarious as desperate departures continue unabated.
