61 migrants, including women and children from Nigeria, Gambia, and other African nations, have lost their lives in a shipwreck off the coast of Libya, as reported by the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM’s Libya office revealed the heartbreaking news through a post on X, disclosing that the ill-fated boat carried approximately 86 people.
According to the statement as reported by Ships & Ports, the IOM read, “61 migrants, including women and children, drowned following a tragic shipwreck off Libya.
Survivors recounted that the boat, carrying around 86 people, departed from the Libyan shores of Zwara.
The central Mediterranean remains one of the world’s most perilous migration routes.”
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Libya serves as a crucial transit point, attracting thousands of individuals annually who aspire to reach Europe in pursuit of better opportunities.
Highlighting the grim reality of the situation, the IOM emphasized that over 2,250 people have lost their lives on the Mediterranean migrant route this year alone.
The incident underscores the ongoing challenges and dangers faced by migrants seeking a better life through perilous journeys.