53 dead in boat sinking off Libyan coast

A boat carrying migrants has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. At least 53 people, including two children, are missing. All are presumed dead, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement on Monday (February 9). Al Jazeera reported.
The IOM said the boat carrying 55 people sank in the Mediterranean Sea north of the coastal town of Zuwara in northwestern Libya on February 6. Only two people were rescued alive after the accident. The organization added that after the two rescued people were brought to shore, emergency medical assistance was provided in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The IOM said survivors said the boat was carrying refugees and migrants from various African countries. The boat set off from the Al-Zawiya area in northwestern Libya at around 11pm on February 5 and sank at sea about six hours later. According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 1,300 people went missing on the dangerous Central Mediterranean route in 2025. The latest incident brings the number of refugees and migrants who have died or gone missing on the route this year to 484. In January alone, at least 375 migrants died or went missing in a series of “missing” boat capsizings in the Central Mediterranean due to extreme weather conditions, the IOM said in a statement. The real number could be much higher, as many deaths go unreported. The organization warned that the continued incidents show that refugees and migrants still face serious risks when attempting to cross the dangerous sea route in the hope of reaching Europe.