Many Nigerians are feared dead after a rubber boat carrying migrants and refugees capsized off the coast of Libya, leaving at least 53 people dead or missing.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) disclosed the incident in a statement published on its website on Monday. According to the agency, the boat, which was transporting 55 migrants of various African nationalities, overturned on Friday north of Zuwara, a coastal town in western Libya.
The IOM said only two Nigerian women were rescued during a search-and-rescue operation carried out by Libyan authorities. One of the survivors reportedly lost her husband in the incident, while the other said she lost her two babies when the boat capsized.
“IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route,” the organisation said, adding that its teams provided emergency medical assistance to the survivors after they were brought ashore, in coordination with relevant authorities.
Survivors recounted that the boat departed Al-Zawiya, Libya, at about 11:00 p.m. on February 5. Roughly six hours into the journey, the vessel began taking in water before eventually capsizing.
IOM data show that at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing in January alone, following several so-called “invisible” shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean that went unrecorded due to harsh weather conditions.
Figures from the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project indicate that more than 1,300 migrants went missing along the Central Mediterranean route in 2025. The latest tragedy brings the number of migrants reported dead or missing on the route in 2026 to at least 484.
The organisation warned that human trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit vulnerable migrants, forcing them onto dangerous sea crossings in unseaworthy boats and exposing them to severe abuse and protection risks.
It called for urgent international cooperation, protection-focused responses, and the creation of safe and regular migration pathways to curb trafficking, reduce risks, and save lives.
