At least 61 migrants missing after boat capsizes off Tobruk

At least 61 migrants are missing after a boat capsized off Libya’s eastern coast near Tobruk, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has confirmed.

The vessel, which was carrying 74 people, most of them from Sudan, overturned earlier this week. Thirteen survivors were rescued, while the remaining passengers are unaccounted for.

The Libyan Red Crescent reported that local authorities had retrieved a number of bodies from the shoreline in the Kambut area. Residents also documented the incident, showing victims washed ashore. The identities of those who perished have not yet been established.

This tragedy follows another fatal incident reported on Tuesday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which said at least 50 migrants died when a fire broke out on a boat carrying 75 Sudanese nationals off the Libyan coast on Sunday.

Libya remains a key departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe across the Mediterranean. Ongoing political instability and weak border controls have enabled smuggling networks to operate extensively, placing migrants at considerable risk through perilous sea crossings in unseaworthy vessels.

Humanitarian organisations have renewed their calls for urgent action to prevent further loss of life along the central Mediterranean migration route.