18 killed, 12 Pakistanis rescued after migrant boat capsizes off Libya

WEB DESK: At least 18 migrants were killed and 90 others rescued, including 12 Pakistani nationals, after a wooden boat capsized near Sorman, off the western coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed on Tuesday.

According to the IOM, the vessel overturned just a few hours after departure due to rough sea conditions and high waves. The survivors include 29 Sudanese men, one Sudanese woman and a child, 18 Bangladeshi men, 12 Pakistani men, and three Somali nationals. The nationalities of those who lost their lives have not yet been confirmed.

The UN migration agency described the tragedy as “yet another deadly incident along the world’s most dangerous migration route” — the central Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to Europe. The IOM reported that 1,046 people have died or gone missing along this route so far this year, with at least 527 deaths occurring near Libya’s coastline.

Just last week, another boat carrying African migrants sank off the coast of Tunisia, killing 40 people.

The IOM said it is coordinating with local authorities to provide medical care, shelter, and essential assistance to survivors. The agency also renewed its appeal to the international community to take urgent and coordinated action to prevent further loss of life in the Mediterranean.

“This tragedy underscores the dire need for safer migration pathways and stronger rescue operations to stop the Mediterranean from becoming a graveyard for desperate migrants,” the IOM added.