At least forty-two migrants are feared dead after a rubber dinghy capsized off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Libyan authorities rescued seven survivors who had been adrift for nearly six days before being spotted near the Al Buri oilfield, northwest of Tripoli. The vessel, which had been carrying 49 people in total, is believed to have sunk shortly after setting off, leaving most of its passengers unaccounted for.
The IOM said the rescued migrants were exhausted and dehydrated after spending nearly a week exposed to the sun and sea without food or water. They have since been taken to shore for medical care and debriefing.
The tragedy marks yet another deadly episode along the perilous central Mediterranean route, one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors. Thousands of migrants and asylum seekers continue to flee conflict, poverty, and instability across Africa and the Middle East, often placing their lives in the hands of smugglers and setting out in unseaworthy boats.
The IOM has called for stronger international efforts to enhance search-and-rescue operations and to address the root causes driving migration through Libya, a country long mired in political turmoil and lawlessness.
