At least 53 migrants are feared dead or missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), highlighting once again the deadly risks faced by people attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean.

The IOM said the rubber boat, carrying 55 people, overturned on Friday north of the northwestern Libyan city of Zuwara. Libyan authorities managed to rescue only two survivors, both Nigerian women. One of the women reportedly lost her husband in the incident, while the other lost her two children.

According to testimony collected by the UN migration agency, the boat departed late on February 5 from the coastal city of Zawiya. Survivors said the vessel began taking on water roughly six hours into the journey before capsizing at sea. IOM teams provided emergency medical assistance to the two women after they were brought ashore.

Among those feared dead or missing were two infants, underscoring the vulnerability of families and children attempting the perilous journey toward Europe. The agency said no further survivors have been located so far.

The tragedy adds to the mounting death toll along the Central Mediterranean route, which remains one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors. With this latest incident, the number of migrants who have died or gone missing on this route in 2026 has risen to at least 484, according to IOM figures.

The organization renewed its warning that smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants by placing them on unseaworthy boats, often without adequate safety equipment or navigation capability. IOM called for “protection-centered” international responses, as well as the expansion of safe and legal migration pathways to prevent further loss of life.

Libya has long served as a major transit point for irregular migrants due to its proximity to Europe and its extensive Mediterranean coastline. Since the 2011 overthrow of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, prolonged instability, fragmented authority, and weak border controls have allowed human trafficking and smuggling networks to operate with relative impunity.

Humanitarian agencies and rights groups argue that without coordinated international action addressing both immediate rescue needs and the root causes of migration, tragedies like the one off Zuwara are likely to continue claiming lives in silence at sea. (ILKHA)