At least 18 migrants have died and more than 50 others remain missing following a tragic shipwreck off the coast of eastern Libya, officials reported Tuesday. The vessel, believed to be carrying over 70 migrants bound for Europe, capsized late Monday near the coastal town of Tolmeita, northeast of Benghazi.
According to a spokesperson from the Libyan Red Crescent, local fishermen discovered several bodies floating near the shore at dawn. Rescue teams, aided by the Libyan Coast Guard, retrieved the remains of 18 victims and rescued a handful of survivors who were clinging to wreckage in the open sea.
“The scene was devastating. Many of the victims were young men and women, some believed to be teenagers,” said Red Crescent volunteer Mahmoud Al-Khalifa. “We are still searching, but hopes of finding more survivors are fading.”
Preliminary reports suggest the boat had departed from the Tobruk area, a common launching point for smugglers who promise a perilous passage across the Mediterranean to Europe. While the nationalities of the victims have not yet been confirmed, authorities believe most were sub-Saharan Africans fleeing poverty, conflict, and repression in search of a better life.
This latest incident adds to the grim toll of migrant deaths in the Central Mediterranean, which remains the deadliest migration route in the world. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 1,000 people have already died attempting the crossing in 2025 alone.
The tragedy highlights Libya’s continued struggle with lawlessness and its role as a hub for human smuggling, despite repeated international efforts to curb the flow of irregular migration. Rights groups have long criticized the conditions faced by migrants in Libya, including reports of abuse, extortion, and arbitrary detention in makeshift camps.
In a statement released Tuesday, the IOM called for urgent action: “These recurring tragedies are preventable. We call on regional and international partners to prioritize safe migration pathways and intensify efforts against trafficking networks operating with impunity.”
As rescue operations continue and bodies are recovered, the families of the missing remain in limbo awaiting news that may never come.
