At Least 51 Dead or Missing After Migrant Vessel Capsizes Near Libya

A migrant boat carrying dozens of people attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of Libya, leaving 51 migrants dead or missing , according to a monitoring group tracking migration routes in the region.

The vessel overturned in the Mediterranean Sea on June 12 off eastern Libya. The Abreen monitoring group said that 10 migrants survived the disaster, while 11 bodies have been recovered and 40 others remain missing .

The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly incidents along the central Mediterranean migration route, one of the world's most dangerous sea crossings. Libya's coastline remains a major departure point for migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East seeking to reach Europe in search of safety and better economic opportunities.

Authorities in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk, including the coast guard and the Red Crescent, reported that bodies had begun washing ashore in recent days. Recovery operations are continuing in the area.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 800 migrants have died or gone missing on the central Mediterranean route between January and mid-May this year. More than 1,300 migrants were reported dead or missing on the same route last year.

Libya has emerged as a key transit hub for migrants despite years of instability following the 2011 uprising that overthrew longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Human traffickers continue to exploit the country's porous borders and political turmoil, often sending migrants to sea in overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels.

Human rights groups and UN investigators have repeatedly raised concerns over the treatment of migrants in Libya, citing widespread abuses in detention centres and the dangers faced during attempts to cross the Mediterranean.