TRIPOLI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Red Crescent said Sunday that four undocumented migrants were rescued and six bodies recovered after a rubber boat capsized off the coast of the eastern city of Tobruk following an urgent distress call.
The group said search operations were continuing for additional missing people. It did not immediately provide details on the migrants' nationalities or how many had been on board.
Libya is a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and seeking to reach Europe by sea. The country's long Mediterranean coastline has seen repeated shipwrecks in recent years, often involving overcrowded and unseaworthy boats operated by smugglers.
The International Organization for Migration said last week that 27,116 migrants had been intercepted and returned to Libya so far in 2025. It added that 1,314 migrants were killed or reported missing along the central Mediterranean route during the same period, one of the world's deadliest migration corridors. ■
