Cairo, March 13 (BNA) The Libyan authorities said that a boat carrying about twenty migrants capsized in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya today, Saturday, and at least 19 people are missing and presumed dead.
The Libyan Coast Guard said that a group of 23 migrants, Egyptians and Syrians, set off from the eastern city of Tobruk. Three migrants were rescued and taken to hospital. The Associated Press (AP) reported that only one body had been recovered and search efforts were still underway.
The shipwreck is the latest tragedy at sea involving migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean from the North African country in a desperate attempt to reach European shores. Libya has emerged as a dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, hoping for a better life in Europe.
At least 192 migrants drowned along the Central Mediterranean route in the first two months of 2022, the International Organization for Migration said. More than 2,930 were intercepted and returned to Libya.
In 2021, at least 32,425 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya. According to the International Organization for Migration, it is assumed that at least 1,553 people drowned last year.
HF