By Awyetu Asabe Hope
At least 53 migrants,
including many Nigerians and two babies, are feared dead after a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off the Libyan coast, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.
Two Nigerian women were rescued by Libyan authorities during a search-and-rescue operation after the vessel overturned in the central Mediterranean Sea near Zuwara at the weekend.
One survivor said her husband drowned, while the other reported losing both her babies.
The boat had departed Zawiya around 11 p.m. on Thursday and began taking on water about six hours later before capsizing.
The migrants, from several African countries, were believed to be attempting the dangerous crossing towards Europe.
The UN agency has repeatedly warned that the rubber dinghies commonly used for such journeys are unsafe, especially during winter.
IOM said the tragedy underscores ongoing risks along the Mediterranean route and reiterated that Libya is not a safe port for migrants.
It also disclosed that recent raids uncovered illegal detention sites in Ajdabiya and Kufra, where hundreds of migrants, including women and children, were held in inhumane conditions.
The agency added that it continues to support voluntary humanitarian returns, assisting 177 Nigerians to return home in late January.