Bodies of 17 migrants, including Bangladeshis, recovered off Libya’s west coast

At least 17 bodies of migrants, including Bangladeshis, have been recovered off Libya’s western coast. All of the dead are believed to be migrants. Reuters reported that one of the bodies recovered was identified as a Bangladeshi national. A team of doctors based in Tripoli confirmed the information on Saturday (April 18). The Libyan Health Ministry’s Emergency Medical and Support Center said the bodies were recovered in the past few days off the coast of Zuwara, about 117 kilometers west of the capital Tripoli.
Authorities said 14 of the 17 bodies recovered had been properly buried. The body of the identified Bangladeshi national has been handed over to his family in Tripoli. The identities of the other two bodies have not yet been confirmed. A photo posted on the center’s verified Facebook page showed rescue workers loading the bodies into white plastic bags and loading them into an ambulance.
Libya has become a major transit route for migrants heading to Europe since the fall of then-ruler Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed coup in 2011. People from across Africa and Asia try to reach Europe by crossing dangerous deserts and the Mediterranean Sea through Libya to escape war, poverty and uncertainty.