At least 17 migrants have died and nine others are missing after their boat broke down and drifted for eight days in the Mediterranean Sea, according to Libya’s Libyan Red Crescent and local security sources.
The vessel, which had been carrying migrants attempting to reach Europe, was discovered off the coast of Tobruk in eastern Libya near the border with Egypt. Rescue teams, including Red Crescent volunteers working alongside naval forces and coast guard units affiliated with the Libyan National Army, recovered seven survivors during recovery operations.
Libya remains a key transit hub for migrants, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa, who undertake dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean in search of safety and economic opportunity in Europe. Many of these routes are controlled by smuggling networks operating amid ongoing instability in the country.
The Red Crescent published images showing volunteers handling recovered bodies in black plastic bags and transporting them in pickup vehicles, underscoring the scale of the tragedy.
Security officials said the nine missing migrants are likely to wash ashore in the coming days, as search and recovery efforts continue along the coastline.
The incident comes amid heightened efforts by Libyan authorities to crack down on human trafficking networks. On Tuesday, the Tripoli Criminal Court sentenced four members of a criminal gang in western Libya’s Zuwara area to prison terms of up to 22 years for human trafficking, abductions for ransom, and torture.
In a separate case, the Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the arrest of another suspected trafficking network allegedly responsible for sending migrants from Tobruk on an unseaworthy vessel that later capsized, killing 38 people, including Sudanese, Egyptian, and Ethiopian nationals.
The latest tragedy highlights the persistent risks faced by migrants crossing the central Mediterranean route, widely regarded as one of the deadliest migration corridors in the world.
Humanitarian agencies continue to warn that without stronger regional cooperation and safer migration pathways, such incidents are likely to persist, driven by conflict, poverty, and the operations of organised trafficking networks.
