Migrants crisis: "500 at risk off Libya"

  "Five hundred lives at risk in international waters off Libya". The sos was launched by Alarm Phone, which asked the authorities for the "immediate" start of a rescue operation. “The weather conditions at sea are very dangerous,” says the NGO. The survivors of today's shipwreck off the coast of Libya are so far seven.

The boat carrying 80 people had departed from Qasr Al-Akhyar, about 75 kilometers (46 miles) east of the capital, Tripoli, and was heading towards Europe. So far, according to the UN, 11 bodies have been recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent and local police. The UN migration agency also said the "seven survivors have returned to Libyan shores in extremely serious condition and are currently in hospital".

The central Mediterranean remains the world's deadliest migratory sea crossing. The latest tragedy brings the death toll to 130 since the beginning of this year, the IOM said. More than 1,450 dead migrants were recorded on that route in 2022, and more than 17,000 dead and missing since 2014, according to the agency's Missing Migrants Project. "This situation is intolerable. Concrete action is needed by States to increase search and rescue capacity, establish clear and safe disembarkation mechanisms, as well as safe and regular routes to reduce dangerous journeys," concluded the Organization international migration.