At least 18 migrants have died and 18 others remain missing after a boat capsized off the western Libyan city of Zawiya early Tuesday morning, according to Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Service.
Ninety-two people were rescued from the sinking vessel, while among the dead were four Egyptians and two Somalis. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the remaining missing persons.
Libya has long served as a key transit route for migrants attempting to reach Europe, particularly since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi. The country’s persistent political instability and power struggles—divided between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and an eastern administration supported by Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army—have allowed smuggling networks to flourish. This has left many migrants vulnerable to exploitation, harsh conditions, and frequent maritime disasters in the Mediterranean.
