A rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off the coast of Libya, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has verified that 53 migrants—including numerous Nigerians—are believed dead.
The tragedy, which happened on February 6, 2026, north of Zuwara, left only two Nigerian women alive. IOM said that the surviving described devastating personal losses.
One woman claimed to have sadly lost two of her children, while another lost her husband in the catastrophe.
Together with the appropriate Libyan authorities, both received emergency medical attention as soon as they were rescued.
The ship, which was transporting migrants from different African nations, left Al-Zawiya at approximately 11 p.m. on February 5, 2026.
The fatal catastrophe is said to have occurred some six hours later when it apparently took on water and overturned.
The risks that Nigerians and other Africans who try to migrate via the Central Mediterranean route continue to encounter are highlighted by this occurrence.
According to IOM data, migration via this path is still extremely risky. Due to numerous shipwrecks caused by severe weather, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing in January alone.
Over 1,300 individuals went missing on the Central Mediterranean route in 2025; the most recent tragedy increased the number of migrant deaths and missing persons to at least 484 in 2026.
IOM also cautioned that trafficking and smuggling organisations still force migrants aboard packed, dangerous ships, putting them in grave danger and violating their human rights.
In order to stop more deaths, the organisation underlined the critical need for safer, legal migration routes.
To safeguard migrants and stop the illicit networks that enable these dangerous crossings, the agency urged greater international collaboration.
To avoid more deaths along the Central Mediterranean route, authorities have called on the international community to extend safe migrant routes and put protection-focused policies into place.
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