The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has confirmed that two Nigerians were rescued and two others remain missing following a tragic shipwreck off the coast of Libya, in which at least 42 migrants are feared dead.
According to the UN migration agency, the rubber boat carrying 49 people - mostly from Sudan, Somalia, Cameroon, and Nigeria - capsized in the Central Mediterranean after its engine failed amid rough waves.
IOM said the vessel left Zuwara, northwest Libya, around 3 a.m. on November 3, but overturned about six hours later. The boat reportedly drifted for six days before Libyan authorities rescued seven survivors on November 8.
“Those rescued include four men from Sudan, two Nigerians, and one Cameroonian,” IOM said. “The missing passengers include 29 Sudanese, eight Somalis, three Cameroonians, and two Nigerians.”
The survivors, the agency added, were provided emergency medical care, food, and water at the disembarkation point, with support from IOM’s humanitarian teams.
The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean, which the IOM describes as the world’s deadliest migration route. More than 1,000 migrants have already died attempting the perilous crossing in 2025, the agency said.
“With this latest shipwreck, the total has risen even further, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation and safer migration pathways,” IOM stated.
The organisation also called for more effective search and rescue operations to curb the growing death toll.
Since 2014, over 25,600 migrants have died or disappeared attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe. Many of the boats used are overloaded and unseaworthy, while humanitarian rescue missions face increasing restrictions.
IOM reaffirmed its stance that safe, humane, and orderly migration benefits both migrants and destination countries, urging governments to prioritise human life and dignity in addressing the crisis.
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