Cairo, August 30 (BNA): A boat carrying Egyptian migrants capsized off the Libyan coast, leaving two people dead, 19 missing and presumed dead.
The Department for Combating Illegal Immigration said the boat was carrying 27 migrants and was found over the weekend in the northeastern town of Tolmitha, about 110 kilometers (68 miles) east of Benghazi.
At least six migrants survived the sinking of the ship.
She added that two bodies were recovered, while 19 others are still missing and presumed dead.
The Associated Press (AP) reported in a video posted to the agency’s Facebook page that showed rescue workers offering drinking water to an exhausted survivor.
The agency said that the boat set off from Egypt and capsized off the coast of Libya.
The migrants were apparently sailing to Europe, a destination for thousands fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.
Tens of thousands attempt to cross the Mediterranean every year in an effort to reach European shores.
Libya has emerged in recent years as a dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.
Human traffickers have profited in recent years from the chaos in Libya, smuggling migrants across the country’s long border with six countries.
Then the migrants are crammed into inflatables and other ill-equipped ships and set off on perilous sea voyages.
Officials did not say what type of ship was found over the weekend.
ZHB