Sixty migrants feared drowned crossing Mediterranean from Libya

As many as 60 people are feared to have drowned on a vessel carrying migrants across the Central Mediterranean from Libya to Italy or Malta, the operators of a charity rescue group said, Report informs referring to Reuters.

SOS Mediterranee said it rescued 25 people in a "very weak" condition in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard on Wednesday and that two unconscious people were flown to Sicily by helicopter.

The Central Mediterranean is one of the world's most dangerous sea migration routes. According to the UN migration agency (IOM), almost 2,500 migrants using it died or went missing last year, and 226 since the start of 2024.

"The survivors departed from Zawiya, Libya, seven days before they were rescued," SOS Mediterranee posted on the social media platform X.

"Their engine broke after three days, leaving their boat lost (and) adrift without water and food for days. Survivors report that at least 60 people perished on the way, including women and at least one child," it added.