Home / Disasters and Accidents / Dozens Presumed Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Libya
Dozens Presumed Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Libya
12 Nov
Summary
- Over 1,000 migrants have died this year attempting the central Mediterranean crossing
- 42 migrants missing and presumed dead after a rubber boat capsized off Libya last week
- MSF relaunches search and rescue operations in the central Mediterranean
According to the latest reports, the ongoing migrant crisis in the central Mediterranean has claimed the lives of over 1,000 people so far this year. The tragic situation took a turn for the worse last week when a rubber boat carrying 49 migrants capsized off the Libyan coast, leaving 42 individuals missing and presumed dead.
The incident occurred on November 3rd, when the vessel, carrying 47 men and 2 women, departed from Zuwara, west of Tripoli. Around six hours into the journey, high waves caused the engine to fail, and the boat capsized, throwing all passengers overboard. After a search and rescue operation by the Libyan authorities on November 5th, only 7 survivors were found - 4 from Sudan, 2 from Nigeria, and 1 from Cameroon. Tragically, the remaining 42 migrants, including 29 from Sudan, 8 from Somalia, 3 from Cameroon, and 2 from Nigeria, are presumed to have perished at sea.
In response to the growing number of migrant deaths in the central Mediterranean, the medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced the relaunch of its search and rescue activities in the region. The organization's new vessel, Oyvon, will be tasked with providing emergency medical care and assistance to those in distress at sea, as well as combating the "cycle of abuse and detention" that many migrants face in Libya.
