18 migrants die in shipwreck off eastern Libya, 50 missing

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TRIPOLI (Reuters) -At least 18 migrants died in a shipwreck off the city of Tobruk in eastern Libya over the weekend, and 50 are still missing, the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday, citing reports.

Ten survivors have been accounted for so far, the IOM said.

Tobruk is a coastal city near the border with Egypt.

A diplomatic source from the Egyptian consulate in Benghazi in eastern Libya told Reuters by phone that the migrants are from Egypt.

The diplomat said 10 bodies were identified and transferred back home, while the survivors were being held in an anti-illegal migration facility.

A Libyan Coast Guard official said the bodies of migrants were found in Alaghila Beach, some 25 kilometers east of Tobruk.

Since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, Libya has become a transit country for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty across the desert and over the Mediterranean to Europe.

“This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the deadly risks people are forced to take in search of safety and opportunity. Libya remains a major transit point for migrants and refugees, many of whom face exploitation, abuse, and life-threatening journeys,” the IOM said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; Additional reporting Ayman Werfali in Benghazi; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and David Gregorio)