At least 50 migrants dead or missing after boat capsizes off eastern Libya

A wooden boat carrying roughly 60 migrants, including women and children, capsized on Tuesday near Bardaa Island off the eastern coast of Libya, about 70 km west of Tobruk. Ten people swam to the island and were rescued, while at least 50 are feared dead or missing. Rescue teams later recovered four bodies and rescued 24 more migrants from a separate derelict vessel in Libyan waters.

Libya has become a primary departure point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, with smugglers often loading people onto unsafe, overloaded boats. The International Organization for Migration reports more than 800 migrant deaths or disappearances on the central Mediterranean route between January and May 2026, and over 1,300 in the previous year. The latest tragedy follows a similar capsizing in June that left dozens missing.

Authorities continue search operations while the broader migrant crisis highlights the perilous conditions faced by those attempting the sea crossing to reach Europe.