At least 53 persons are feared dead following the capsizing of a rubber dinghy carrying African migrants off the Libyan coast, the International Organisation for Migration has said.
The IOM, in a statement posted on its website on Monday, said the ill-fated vessel, which was conveying 55 migrants and refugees of various African nationalities, overturned north of Zuwara, Libya.
Only two Nigerian women survived the tragedy, according to the organisation, which added that Libyan authorities conducted the search-and-rescue operation.
The IOM stated that one of the survivors reported losing her husband in the incident, while the other said her two babies drowned when the boat capsized.
“IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route,” the organisation said.
It added that its teams provided emergency medical assistance to the survivors upon disembarkation in coordination with relevant authorities.
Accounts from the survivors revealed that the boat departed Al-Zawiya, Libya, around 11pm on February 5. About six hours into the journey, the vessel began taking in water before it eventually capsized.
The IOM disclosed that at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing in January alone, following several “invisible” shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean, many of which went unrecorded due to extreme weather conditions.
According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, more than 1,300 migrants have gone missing along the Central Mediterranean route in 2025.
The latest tragedy brings the number of migrants reported dead or missing on the route in 2026 to at least 484.
The organisation warned that human trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants, subjecting them to dangerous crossings in unseaworthy boats while exposing them to severe abuse and protection risks.
It stressed the urgent need for stronger international cooperation, protection-focused responses and the creation of safe and regular migration pathways to curb trafficking, reduce risks and save lives.