18 killed in a migrant boat sinking off the coast of Libya news

18 people were killed on Tuesday when a wooden boat carrying dozens of irregular migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, while 64 people were rescued, according to what the International Organization for Migration announced.

The organization said – in a statement – that “the survivors are 29 Sudanese men, women, and children, 18 Bangladeshis, 12 Pakistanis, and 3 Somalis,” noting that no information is yet available about the nationalities of the drowning victims.

She pointed out that this incident is “a stark reminder of the grave dangers faced by people who undertake dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and opportunity.”

She added that the central region of the Mediterranean, which links North Africa to Europe, remains “one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world.”

The organization said that its project for missing migrants has recorded 1,046 deaths and missing persons in that region since the beginning of the year, including 527 cases off the Libyan coast.

Today’s drowning incident comes after 40 irregular migrants were killed off the coast of Tunisia last week after their boat sank.

The International Organization for Migration noted that it is working with local partners to ensure that survivors of today’s incident receive medical assistance, psychological and social support, and access to basic services, calling again for “strengthening regional cooperation, expanding safe and regular migration routes, and ensuring rapid and coordinated search and rescue operations that save lives.”