Tragedy Strikes as Migrant Boats Sink in Mediterranean: Four Confirmed Dead

Sun Nov 16 2025 14:34:37 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A disaster at sea has left at least four dead after two migrant boats capsized near Libya, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by those attempting to reach Europe. Rescue efforts continue as the crisis deepens.

At least four migrants have died following the sinking of two boats near the Libyan coast, with a humanitarian organization confirming that the deceased were on a vessel carrying 26 Bangladeshi nationals. The incident underscores the perils of crossing the central Mediterranean, a route deemed the deadliest for migrants by the UN. The boats had departed from Al Khums, with many onboard originating from Sudan. In 2025 alone, over 1,500 individuals have gone missing or died attempting this treacherous journey.

At least four people have died after two boats carrying nearly 100 migrants capsized off the coast of Libya on Saturday, rescue workers have said.

Those confirmed to have died by the Libyan Red Crescent so far were all passengers in a boat carrying 26 Bangladeshi nationals.

The humanitarian group did not say whether there were further fatalities among passengers in a second boat which sank while carrying around 70 mostly Sudanese people.

The boats were using the central Mediterranean route between North Africa and Italy, which is the deadliest known migration route in the world according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The boats had set off from Al Khums, a port city in northwestern Libya, the organisation said.

The Libyan Red Crescent shared images of its crew administering aid to survivors, as well as black body bags lying on the ground.

Hundreds of people die each year trying to make the crossing to southern Europe each year in overcrowded and unsafe boats. More than 1,500 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean in 2025 so far, according to data from the IOM. Around a third of those cases happened off Libya's coast.

The North African nation was the departure point for the majority of the almost 59,000 people who arrived in Europe this year via the central Mediterranean route, according to Frontex, the European Union's border security agency.

Earlier this week, dozens of migrants who boarded a small boat in Libya were missing and presumed dead after it capsized in the Mediterranean. Seven survivors - from Sudan, Somalia, Cameroon and Nigeria - were rescued after being lost at sea for nearly a week.