A migrant boat carrying 26 Bangladeshis capsized off the coast of Libya, leaving four dead, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. A second boat, carrying 69 migrants — mostly Sudanese — also capsized in the same area near Al-Khums, though no casualties were reported there.
The Red Crescent said rescue teams reached the scene on Thursday night after receiving reports of the two overturned vessels. They recovered the bodies of four Bangladeshis and provided assistance to the survivors.
The second boat carried 67 Sudanese nationals, including eight children, along with two Egyptians. All were rescued safely.
Libya remains a major transit route for migrants attempting to reach Europe through the Mediterranean. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has descended into conflict and become a hub for human trafficking, where migrants often face torture, extortion, and abuse.
Human rights groups say that despite EU support for the Libyan Coast Guard, the force has links to militias involved in abuses. They also note that the reduction of European state-run rescue missions has made the Mediterranean crossing even more dangerous, while humanitarian rescue groups face increasing restrictions.