70 Missing After Migrant Boat Sinks Off Libyan Coast

At least 70 migrants are missing and feared dead after a wooden boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday. The incident occurred within Libya's Search and Rescue (SAR) zone, according to the Italian NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH) and reports from Anadolu Agency.

The vessel reportedly departed from the Libyan coastal city of Tajoura carrying over 100 passengers, including women and children. It sank approximately 14 nautical miles northeast of the Bouri oil field, situated about 122 kilometers off the Libyan coast.

Emergency teams managed to rescue 34 survivors and recover two bodies. Both the survivors and the deceased were transported to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

While MSH reported 105 people were initially on board, the Lampedusa-based news agency Ansa News cited survivor accounts claiming the ship carried up to 180 migrants. If these higher figures are accurate, the death toll could exceed 80.

In response to the tragedy, MSH called on European authorities to establish safer migration routes to prevent further loss of life at sea.