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Thursday, September 18, 2025
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Boat that sank off Libya, killing at least 50 migrants, was headed to Greece: IOM

publish time

18/09/2025

publish time

18/09/2025

Boat that sank off Libya, killing at least 50 migrants, was headed to Greece: IOM
This is a locator map for Libya with its capital, Tripoli. (AP)

CAIRO, Sept 18, (AP): A boat carrying Sudanese refugees that caught fire and sank off Libya’s coast Sunday, killing at least 50, was headed toward Greece when the incident happened, the International Organization for Migration said. The boat sank about 60 kilometers (37 miles) off the coast of Tobruk in eastern Libya, the United Nations migration agency added Thursday.

Earlier this week, the IOM said on X that the boat was carrying 75 Sudanese refugees when it sank and that only 24 survivors were found, in the latest tragedy for those attempting the dangerous journey to Europe. The Libyan Red Crescent had said Monday it received an emergency call from authorities in Tobruk about recovering the bodies of people who drowned, but it was unclear if they were those of the Sudanese migrants.

The group said it recovered bodies at Kambot beach, which is located 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of the town, and Qabes, which is 90 kilometers (56 miles) to the east. The humanitarian organization didn’t provide further details, but Libya has been a main transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

Earlier this month, a migrant boat capsized off Libya’s coast, leaving one dead and 22 missing, Libyan authorities said. The coast guard in Tobruk said at the time that the boat had been carrying 32 migrants when it sailed and that nine had been rescued. In December, at least 61 migrants, including women and children, drowned off the coast of western Libya.