A boat carrying dozens of refugees and migrants capsized off the coast of Libya on 6 February, resulting in at least 53 people being dead or missing, including two babies.
The rubber boat, which was carrying 55 people, overturned north of the coastal city of Zuwara in northwestern Libya. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday.
The IOM reported that two survivors received emergency medical care upon disembarkation in coordination with Libyan authorities. The survivors indicated that the boat was carrying migrants and refugees from various African nations. The vessel had set off from Zawia, also in northwestern Libya, at around 11 pm on 5 February and capsized about six hours later, according to AL Jazeera.
This incident brings the total number of deaths or disappearances on the central Mediterranean route to at least 484 so far in 2026. According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, over 1,300 people went missing in 2025 while attempting the perilous crossing.
The statement also noted that in January 2026, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing after several “invisible” shipwrecks occurred amidst harsh weather conditions, with many more fatalities likely going unreported.
These recurring tragedies highlight the constant dangers faced by migrants and refugees trying to cross the central Mediterranean, one of the deadliest migration routes in the world.
