26 Migrants die off Libya coast

Libya: Local official said at least 26 dead bodies of migrants have been recovered off the Libyan coast on Saturday after they were washed up on a beach in the city of Sabratha, about 60 kilometres west of Tripoli, Zakaraia al-Keep, on Friday.

According to an  official at the Sabratha municipal council,

“All the bodies belonged to persons from Sub-Saharan African countries.”adding that authorities have evacuated tourist and holidaymakers from the beach and closed it for few days.

In another development in Libya on Friday, official said coastguard rescued another 137 migrants near Tripoli as they tried to reach Europe in a rubber boat.

Spokesman for Libyan Navy Ayub Ghasem said migrants including 27 women and two children, were rescued off the Gharbuli coast, 35 kilometres east of Tripoli.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday, it said this year’s death toll for migrants crossing the Mediterranean is close to 3,000.

Majority of the deaths have happened on the central Mediterranean route from Libya to Italy.