At least 35 persons are feared dead, following the incident of a capsized boat, which took place on Friday, off the Libyan coast.
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in a statement, said it wasn’t clear what led the wooden boat to capsize, but the bodies of six migrants were recovered, while 29 others, presumably dead, are still missing.
The IOM also stated that the western Libyan city of Sabratha is said to be a major launching point for the mainly African migrants who often embark on these dangerous voyages across the Mediterranean.
There have been many recent cases of migrants who, in search of greener pastures in Europe, lost their lives in boat tragedies, this one being the latest incident.
Last week, at least 53 migrants died or were presumed dead, as their boat upturned along the way to their ‘dream destinations’.
The IOM has noted that “dedicated search and rescue capacity and a safe disembarkation mechanism are urgently needed to prevent further deaths and suffering.”
Further, it was also reported that investigators found evidences of human rights violations against migrants who are usually caught and detained in government-run prisons in Libya.
It was discovered that migrants who get caught while trying to cross the Mediterranean from Libya over to the European shores, are often maltreated by the Libyan authorities, and exposed to human traffickers who would pack them off to different countries for their interests.
Reports from the IOM state that at least 476 migrants have died along the Central Mediterranean route between January 1 and April 11.
