At least 50 dead or missing after migrant boat capsizes off Libya's coast

At least 50 migrants are feared dead or missing after a boat carrying around 60 people, including women and children, capsized off Libya's eastern coast while attempting to reach Europe, authorities said on Wednesday.

The vessel sank on Tuesday near Bardaa Island, off the coastal city of Tobruk, according to the eastern Libya Coast Guard. Officials said 10 people survived by swimming to the nearby island, while search and rescue operations remain underway.

The incident is the latest in a series of deadly shipwrecks involving migrants attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to Europe. Last month, another boat disaster off eastern Libya left 51 migrants dead or missing.

Since the 2011 Nato-backed uprising that toppled long time ruler Moammar Gadhafi, Libya has become one of the main transit hubs for migrants and refugees fleeing conflict, persecution and poverty in Africa and the West Asia.

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Human smugglers frequently overcrowd small, unseaworthy boats with people seeking to reach European shores, contributing to one of the world's deadliest migration routes.

According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), more than 800 migrants were reported dead or missing along the central Mediterranean route between January 1 and May 16 this year. In 2025, more than 1,300 people lost their lives or went missing while attempting the same crossing.

With inputs from agencies