Four Migrants Die, 91 Rescued Off Libya Coast

At least four migrants died and 91 others were rescued after two overcrowded boats capsized off the Libyan coastal city of Al Khums on Thursday night, the Libyan Red Crescent reported Saturday.

The incidents occurred about 118 kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli. According to the Red Crescent, the first vessel carried 26 people from Bangladesh, four of whom drowned when it sank. The second boat held 69 migrants, including two Egyptians, 67 Sudanese and eight children. Rescue teams recovered the bodies and provided aid to survivors, who were wrapped in thermal blankets and received first aid. The organization coordinated with the Libyan Coast Guard and Al Khums Port Security Agency to conduct the operations, and the bodies were handed over to authorities per instructions from the city's public prosecution.

Libya has emerged as a primary transit point for migrants and asylum seekers attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing to Europe, a route that has grown more dangerous since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country's ongoing instability has fueled smuggling networks and left migrants vulnerable to abuse, extortion and...