At least 53 irregular migrants are confirmed dead or remain missing after a boat capsized off Libya’s coast in the central Mediterranean, with rescue teams recovering only two survivors, according to the United Nations.
The incident occurred on February 5, 2026, after a rubber boat carrying about 55 migrants departed from the coastal area of Al-Zawiya in north-western Libya, heading toward Europe. Several hours into the journey, the vessel began taking on water and later capsized in the Mediterranean Sea north of the town of Zuwara, close to Libya’s western coastline.
The International Organization for Migration said on February 9 and February 10, 2026 that at least 53 people either drowned or are still missing and presumed dead. Among the victims were two infants. Only two people survived the shipwreck. Libyan authorities rescued the survivors, identified as two women from Nigeria, and transported them ashore for urgent medical treatment.
According to accounts shared with humanitarian officials, one of the survivors lost her husband in the disaster, while the other lost her two young children when the boat overturned. Search efforts were limited, and most of those on board are believed to have drowned.
Libya remains a major departure point for migrants and refugees from sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East attempting the dangerous sea crossing to Europe. Since the collapse of central authority following the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, people-smuggling networks have flourished, often sending migrants out to sea in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats.
The tragedy adds to the growing death toll along the central Mediterranean route, one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors. The IOM’s Missing Migrants Project reports that hundreds of migrants have already died or gone missing on this route in 2026 alone, underscoring persistent humanitarian concerns and the risks faced by those fleeing conflict, poverty, and instability in search of safety and opportunity.
