53 migrants dead or missing after boat capsizes off Libya

More than 50 people have died, or are missing, after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Libya, according to reports.

The vessel overturned north of Zuwara on 6 February, with only two rescued from the 53 on board, said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in a statement. The two survivors, both Nigerian women, were given medical care by IOM after a rescue operation by Libyan authorities.

One survivor reported losing her husband, while the other said she lost her two babies in the tragedy, according to the IOM. IOM said witnesses reported that the rubber boat was carrying people of African nationalities and departed from Al-Zawiya around 27 miles (44km) west of Tripoli at around 11pm on 5 February.

But it capsized approximately six hours later after taking on water. The organisation said that, in January alone, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing after attempting to take routes across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

The total figure for 2026 is estimated to be at least 484. It added that hundreds more deaths are believed to be unrecorded.

ION has also said that more than 1,300 migrants have gone missing in the central Mediterranean in 2025. Read more from Sky News:Son of Gaddafi shot deadLibya's people smuggling gangsMigrants found in mass graves The group warned that trafficking and smuggling networks are continuing to exploit migrants and profit from dangerous crossings in unseaworthy boats.

Sky News has previously investigated the people smuggling business in East Libya, where thousands are willing to risk their lives in small boats to get to Europe and the UK. Sky's Special correspondent Alex Crawford was shown the scale of the problem by authorities who believe the EU should provide funding to help stem the flow of illegal migration.

Libya has in recent years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. The North African nation was plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011..