At least 18 migrants lost their lives and more than 90 others were pulled from the water after their vessel overturned off the coast west of Libya’s capital, Tripoli, according to the local Red Crescent on Tuesday.
The Red Crescent team in Sabratha, located roughly 76 km (47 miles) from Tripoli, said they were alerted late Monday night and carried out rescue efforts through the early hours of Tuesday. The victims’ bodies were discovered along the shoreline near Surman’s port.
Images released by the Sabratha branch showed rescue volunteers placing bodies into white plastic bags and loading them into ambulances, while other workers provided emergency care to the survivors.
Earlier this month, a medical center run by Libya’s Health Ministry reported that at least 61 bodies were found over a two-week period on the coastline stretching from Zuwara to Ras Ijdir near the border with Tunisia.
Libya remains a key departure point for migrants escaping violence and hardship since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that removed Muammar Gaddafi, with many risking the dangerous Mediterranean journey in hopes of reaching Europe.
