At least 50 dead after refugee boat catches fire off Libya
People are rescued by crew members of the ship Ocean Viking, run by NGO SOS Mediterranee, during a search-and-rescue operation in the central Mediterranean Sea.PHOTO: REUTERS
At least 50 people have died after a vessel carrying 75 Sudanese refugees caught fire off Libya's coast on Sunday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.
The IOM reported that it provided medical support to 24 survivors rescued from the incident.
Libya has long been a major transit point for migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean. The situation worsened following the 2011 fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi during a NATO-backed uprising.
As of February 2025, around 867,055 migrants from 44 nationalities were residing in Libya, according to IOM data.