At least four people have died after two small boats carrying irregular migrants capsized off the Libyan coast near the city of Al Khums, rescue agencies and aid groups said on Saturday.
The Libyan Red Crescent said the two incidents happened on Thursday night and involved a total of 95 people. The first vessel — an overloaded boat carrying 26 people from Bangladesh went down, and four of those on board were confirmed dead. The second boat carried 69 people, including dozens of Sudanese and two Egyptians; the Red Crescent did not immediately confirm fatalities from that vessel. Survivors were taken to shore and given first aid and thermal blankets, local authorities said.
Rescue teams from the Libyan coastguard and local port security joined volunteer groups in recovery and rescue operations around Al Khums, about 118 km east of Tripoli. Bodies recovered were transferred to the relevant authorities for identification and further procedures, the Red Crescent statement said.
The sinking comes amid a deadly year for crossings of the central Mediterranean. The International Organization for Migration and U.N. agencies have repeatedly warned that deaths and disappearances on the route remain alarmingly high in 2025, with multiple large shipwrecks reported in recent weeks that have left scores dead or missing. Humanitarian groups and some countries attending recent U.N. meetings have also pressed for greater protection for migrants and for the closure of detention centres in Libya amid reports of abuse.
Local officials and aid groups urged renewed search-and-rescue efforts and stronger international cooperation to prevent further loss of life. Migrants use Libya as a major departure point for attempts to reach Europe, a journey often organized by smuggling networks and undertaken in unseaworthy, overcrowded vessels. Critics say that a combination of border policies, weak maritime coordination and abuses in detention centres fuel the deadly crossings.
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