At least 15 people have been confirmed dead in the Mediterranean Sea in Libya. The accident has been linked to a shipping mishap that was carrying illegal migrants.
15 illegal migrants drowned in Libya sea
At least 15 individuals have drowned when their ship capsized off the sea in Libya. This will be the second incident in just a week that involves migrants undertaking a turmoil journey in a bid to get a better life in Europe.
Safa Msehli, a spokesperson for the migration organization, said the ship was carrying at least 129 people who have started their journey from the town of Zawiya. The boat began to sing on Sunday morning, and immediately the coast guard tried to rescue more than 100 people which included women and children.
'' Casualties and destruction of property continue to happen. This is a sad tragedy especially during pandemic '' she stated in a Twitter post.
It was reported that survivors had some burns in their bodies, while some suffered hypothermia. Many of the rescued people were immediately transferred to the hospital. Sunday's accident was the most recent along the Mediterranean migration usually plied by many Africans seeking a better life.
Casualties have been many along the sea route this year
NGOs and international agencies have released a statement saying at least 43 migrants have died since February 23. Also, during the weekend, a German charity organization said it had rescued more than 179 people off the Libyan sea in three months. Libya has been a major route where migrants from African countries used to get to Italy or Spain.
However, the journey hasn't been smooth as many people have died after trying to cross the sea. There has been a joint patrol of NATO security on the sea to prevent illegal migrants and stop the smuggling of any kind. The security at the seaport in Tripoli and other seaports in Libya is weak as various loopholes are used.