Recovery of 16 Bodies of Migrants from Capsized Boat off the Coast of Libya

SadaNews - Libyan maritime rescue authorities announced on Friday evening the discovery of 16 bodies and the rescue of 10 living migrants following the sinking of an irregular migration boat carrying 61 people off the country's eastern coast, amidst fears that the death toll may rise in the coming hours.

The Maritime Rescue Office of the Coast Security in Tobruk and the Crossing Foundation for Migrant Assistance, according to the German news agency (DPA), stated that search operations are ongoing, warning of the possibility of more bodies reaching the coastal area extending from the eastern beach of Al-Aqila to Ain Al-Ghazala in eastern Libya as a result of the incident.

In a separate incident in the west of the country, rescue teams managed to save 15 migrants after their boat capsized off the coast of the city of Khoms, in a quick response operation involving local fishermen and the Libyan coast guard.

According to sources, fishermen present near the incident site took the initiative to retrieve the migrants from the water and provide them with initial assistance before the coast guard units arrived and completed the rescue operation, transporting the survivors to the shore.

The authorities clarified that the rescued migrants received the necessary medical care, while both incidents highlight the significant risks faced by irregular migrants during crossing journeys across the Mediterranean Sea starting from the Libyan coast.