At least 70 migrants drowned in two weeks off the coast of Libya

At least 70 migrants have drowned in the past two weeks after leaving Libyan shores for Europe, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Thursday.

“At least 70 migrants have disappeared off the coast of Libya and are believed to have drowned in the past two weeks,” IOM said in a statement.

According to the organization, “a boat carrying 25 migrants sank on March 12 off the coast of Tobruk” in eastern Libya.

“The authorities have rescued six migrants and recovered seven bodies, while 12 others are still wanted,” he added.

IOM reported another shipwreck on 27 February, when a ship “capsized, four hours after leaving the port of Sabratha” (west).

“No survivors have been found,” according to IOM, which added that the bodies of 15 migrants, including a baby, have been found, while 35 people remain missing.

These wrecks bring to 215 the number of migrants registered as dead or missing in the Central Mediterranean since the beginning of 2022, according to IOM's “Missing Migrants Project”, which lists people who have died while migrating to an international destination.

Federico Soda, head of IOM's mission in Libya, quoted in the statement, said he was “appalled” by the loss of life and the “lack” of action to deal with “this tragedy.”

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