Fifty migrants feared dead, 10 survive after boat capsizes off Libya

At least 50 migrants, including women and children, are feared to have been lost at sea after their wooden boat capsized on Tuesday in the Mediterranean off Libya’s eastern coast, two security sources said.

Only 10 people survived, rescued near El-Bardaa Island, roughly 70 kilometres west of Tobruk close to Libya’s border with Egypt.

The vessel had been carrying about 60 migrants from various sub-Saharan countries and had set sail early that morning before it capsized, according to survivors.

Libya has become a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty across sub-Saharan Africa, who attempt the perilous journey to Europe through desert crossings and then by sea, a route that expanded significantly after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The eastern coastal city of Tobruk in particular has repeatedly seen tragedy in recent weeks, underscoring how dangerous the crossing remains despite ongoing efforts to curb it.

In a separate incident, rescue teams in Tobruk recovered four bodies on Monday and rescued 24 survivors after a boat carrying 28 migrants was found adrift in Libyan waters for two weeks, with the four deaths attributed to harsh conditions aboard the dilapidated vessel.

The latest disaster follows a similar tragedy in June, when authorities in Tobruk recovered around 26 bodies after another boat capsized near the city, highlighting the mounting toll of the Mediterranean crossing this year.