PRES. TRUMP AWARDED INAUGURAL FIFA PEACE PRIZE AT WORLD CUP DRAW IN WASHINGTON . (PHOTOS).
At least 42 migrants are missing and presumed dead after their boat capsized off the Libyan coast last week, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The tragedy occurred when the vessel’s engine failed amid rough seas early on Nov. 3, just hours after departing from Zuwara, a coastal city in northwestern Libya. Seven survivors were rescued days later after being stranded at sea for nearly a week. They were discovered during a Libyan search operation near the al-Buri Oil Field on Saturday.
The rubber boat was carrying 49 people—47 men and two women—when it overturned. Among the missing are 29 migrants from Sudan, eight from Somalia, three from Cameroon, and two from Nigeria. The IOM said the survivors, who suffered severe sunburn and skin irritation from prolonged exposure to seawater, received emergency medical care, food, and water upon rescue. They were transferred to Tripoli and are reportedly in stable condition.
Libya remains a central hub for migrants attempting the dangerous crossing to Europe, many fleeing violence and economic hardship across Africa and the Middle East. The country has struggled with instability since the 2011 uprising that overthrew longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The recent disaster follows a separate shipwreck last month near al-Zawiya, where 18 migrants drowned and 64 others were rescued. According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, more than 1,000 people have died this year along the Central Mediterranean route, with over half of those fatalities occurring off Libya’s coast.
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