Four Bangladeshis Dead as Migrant Boat Capsizes off Libya’s Al-Khums Coast

At least four Bangladeshi nationals have died after two migrant boats capsized off the coast of Al-Khums in Libya. According to the Libyan Red Crescent and international media, the incident occurred on Thursday night, when a vessel carrying 26 Bangladeshis sank, leaving four confirmed dead.

In a statement released on Sunday, TRT World and the Libyan Red Crescent reported that rescue teams rushed to the scene immediately after receiving information about the overturned boats near the Al-Khums coastline. The bodies of the four Bangladeshi victims were later recovered.

The second boat carried 69 migrants, including two Egyptians and 67 Sudanese nationals, among them eight children. All passengers of this vessel were rescued alive, officials said. The survivors were brought ashore and provided with medical attention and essential support. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to the authorities upon instructions from the local prosecutor in Al-Khums.

Al-Khums is a key coastal city located about 118 kilometers east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Photos released by the Libyan Red Crescent show rows of bodies in plastic bags, volunteers providing first aid to injured migrants, and rescued individuals wrapped in blankets on the ground.

A Worsening Migration Crisis :

Since the NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has become a major transit point for migrants and asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe. More than 850,000 migrants currently reside in the country, many fleeing war, poverty, and persecution in hopes of crossing the perilous Mediterranean Sea.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported last week that at least 42 migrants were missing and presumed dead after a rubber boat sank near the Al-Bouri oil field in northwestern Libya. In mid-October, authorities recovered 61 bodies from the waters west of Tripoli. Earlier, in September, at least 50 Sudanese migrants died after a fire broke out on a vessel off the Libyan coast.

Human Rights Concerns Intensify:

Human rights groups and the United Nations have long accused armed groups and authorities in Libya of subjecting migrants to torture, sexual violence, extortion, and even extrajudicial killings. Although the European Union continues to support the Libyan Coast Guard to curb irregular migration, the force has been widely criticized for alleged links with militias and involvement in abuse.

During a UN meeting in Geneva last week, several countries—including the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, and Sierra Leone—urged Libya to shut down its notorious detention centers, where migrants are frequently subjected to severe mistreatment.