Dec. 17 (UPI) — More than 60 migrants died after a shipwreck off the coast of Libya, the United Nations‘ International Organization for Migration reported.
The boat had about 86 people, including women and children, onboard when it left Zwara, IOM said on X on Saturday.
“The central Mediterranean continues to be one of the most dangerous migration routes,” the post said.
IOM spokesperson Flavio De Giacomo said on X that more than 2,250 people have died in the central Mediterranean this year.
He called it “a dramatic number which unfortunately demonstrates that not enough is being done to save lives at sea.”
Most of the migrants were from African countries, including Nigeria and Gambia, The Guardian reported. There were 25 survivors, who were transferred to a detention center in Libya.
The Mediterranean is a busy route for migrants and refugees seeking safety in Italy.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met in Rome on Saturday and agreed to jointly fund a program to repatriate migrants from Tunisia. They also agreed to work on projects to address the causes of migration.
