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5d ago

At Least 53 Dead or Missing After Migrant Boat Sinks off Libya, IOM Says

The UN migration agency warns of a severely undercounted toll on the central Mediterranean, urging safer, coordinated responses.

Instante de uno de los rescates llevados a cabo por Open Arms, con Eduardo Blasco, de espaldas, en la embarcación de la derecha.
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Overview

  • The rubber boat carrying about 55 people left Al-Zawiya late on Feb. 5 and capsized roughly six hours later near Zuwara on Feb. 6, according to survivor accounts relayed by IOM.
  • Only two Nigerian women survived after a Libya-led rescue, and IOM provided medical assistance to them upon their return to Libya.
  • Two infants were reported among those dead or missing, based on information from the survivors and the IOM.
  • IOM says the central Mediterranean route has recorded at least 484 dead or missing in the first five weeks of 2026, with many additional sinkings likely unreported.
  • The agency cites extreme weather and exploitative smuggling networks using unseaworthy boats, and calls for stronger international cooperation and safe, regular migration pathways.