Two babies among 53 people dead or missing after boat capsizes off Libya

The incident brings the number of people reported dead or missing on the central Mediterranean route this year to at least 484.Published On 9 Feb 2026A rubber boat ⁠carrying dozens of people has capsized off the coast of ‌Libya, leaving at least 53 people, including two babies, ⁠dead or missing.In a statement on Monday, the International Organization for ‌Migration (IOM) ‌said the vessel carrying 55 people had overturned north of the coastal city of Zuwara, in northwestern Libya, on February 6.The IOM said its teams provided two survivors with emergency medical care upon disembarkation, in coordination with the relevant authorities.According to the survivors, the agency said, the boat was carrying refugees and migrants from African countries.It had departed from Zawia, in northwestern Libya, at about 11pm on February 5 and capsized approximately six hours later, it added.According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, more than 1,300 people have gone missing on the dangerous central Mediterranean route in 2025. The latest incident brings the number of refugees and migrants reported dead or missing on the route this year to at least 484.“IOM data show that in January alone, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing following multiple ‘invisible’ shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean amid extreme weather, with hundreds more deaths believed to be unrecorded,” the statement said.“These repeated incidents underscore the persistent and deadly risks faced by migrants and refugees attempting the dangerous crossing.”