At least four people have died after two boats carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized off the coast of Libya on Saturday, rescue workers report. The Libyan Red Crescent confirmed the fatalities were among passengers in a boat carrying 26 Bangladeshi nationals, but did not specify if there were additional casualties from a second boat carrying around 70 mostly Sudanese individuals.
The boats set off from Al Khums, a Libyan port city, using the central Mediterranean route between North Africa and Italy — known as the deadliest migration route in the world, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Images shared by the Libyan Red Crescent showed crew members aiding survivors and revealing black body bags on the shoreline.
Each year, hundreds of migrants face fatal risks while attempting to cross to southern Europe in overcrowded and unsafe boats. The IOM indicates that over 1,500 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean in 2025 alone, with a significant proportion occurring off the coast of Libya.
Libya has been the primary departure point for nearly 59,000 migrants arriving in Europe this year via the perilous central Mediterranean route. Earlier this week, another tragic incident saw dozens of migrants missing and presumed dead after their vessel sank.
The involved survivors, hailing from Sudan, Somalia, Cameroon, and Nigeria, faced nearly a week lost at sea before being rescued.
The boats set off from Al Khums, a Libyan port city, using the central Mediterranean route between North Africa and Italy — known as the deadliest migration route in the world, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Images shared by the Libyan Red Crescent showed crew members aiding survivors and revealing black body bags on the shoreline.
Each year, hundreds of migrants face fatal risks while attempting to cross to southern Europe in overcrowded and unsafe boats. The IOM indicates that over 1,500 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean in 2025 alone, with a significant proportion occurring off the coast of Libya.
Libya has been the primary departure point for nearly 59,000 migrants arriving in Europe this year via the perilous central Mediterranean route. Earlier this week, another tragic incident saw dozens of migrants missing and presumed dead after their vessel sank.
The involved survivors, hailing from Sudan, Somalia, Cameroon, and Nigeria, faced nearly a week lost at sea before being rescued.
