Libyan security and medical officials say at least 15 bodies, including that of a young girl, have been recovered after a migrant boat capsized off the country’s eastern Mediterranean coast.
According to local authorities, the vessel was carrying at least 61 people and is believed to have sunk sometime last week while attempting the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea.
Two Libyan security officials said the bodies recovered from the coastline were in an advanced state of decomposition, raising concerns that additional victims may still be missing and could wash ashore in the coming days.
In a separate incident, health authorities reported that at least 13 migrants were rescued and treated after another boat capsized near the coastal city of Khoms.
Libya remains one of the main departure points for migrants and asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe. Many are fleeing conflict, insecurity, poverty and economic hardship in countries across Africa and the Middle East.
The latest tragedy highlights the ongoing dangers faced by thousands of people who continue to risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean in search of safety and better opportunities.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 1,000 people have died or gone missing along the Central Mediterranean route since the beginning of 2025.
The organization also reported that more than 2,450 people lost their lives across the Mediterranean during 2024.
IOM data further indicate that nearly 25,000 migrants and refugees have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean since 2014, making it one of the deadliest migration routes in the world.
Humanitarian organizations continue to call for stronger international cooperation, expanded search-and-rescue operations and safer migration pathways to prevent further loss of life.
The recurring shipwrecks underscore the human cost of global displacement and the growing challenges faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe through increasingly dangerous routes.
