Over Sixty Migrants Drown After Shipwreck Off Libyan CoastAt least 61 migrants, mostly from Nigeria, Gambia, and other African nations, are presumed to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea when their vessel capsized due to high waves near Libya. The boat, carrying 86 individuals and departing from Zuwara, had 25 survivors who were taken to a Libyan detention centre. The IOM highlighted the perilous nature of the central Mediterranean migration route, noting over 2,250 deaths this year alone. The Mediterranean Sea serves as a crucial route for African migrants heading to Europe, notably Italy, with almost 140,000 arrivals recorded this year. An incident in 2019 when more than 100 migrants drowned off the Libyan coast and another in Greece in June 2023 that left 78 people dead and over 500 missing, highlights the plight of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better life.

Source: Libya Today December 18, 2023 12:47 UTC