Libya: Dozens Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes in Mediterranean

Life preserver.

By Zac Crellin with AFP

A boat departed from Libya carrying more than 100 people. Only 32 people are confirmed to have survived its voyage in the Mediterranean Sea.

At least two people have died and dozens more are missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, advocacy groups said on Sunday.

A total of 32 survivors were rescued out of more than 100 people who were believed to be on board the small boat when it capsized.

"Tragic Easter shipwreck. 32 survivors, two bodies recovered and more than 70 people missing," Italian rescue coordinator Mediterranea Saving Humans wrote on X.

It said the tragedy was "the consequence of policies by European governments that refuse to open safe and legal pathways" for migrants.

What do we know about the incident?

The small boat departed Libya on Saturday and capsized in a search-and-rescue zone that is supposed to be handled by Libyan authorities.

Footage showed around 15 people clinging to the hull of the overturned vessel in open waters.

German NGO Sea-Watch said two passing merchant ships rescued the survivors and took them to the Italian island of Lampedusa — a key entry point into Europe for migrants crossing the Mediterranean.

Sea-Watch said it monitored the incident from the air to help coordinate rescues.

"We are horrified," the group said on Sunday.

At least 683 migrants have drowned or gone missing in their attempts to cross the Mediterranean in 2026 so far, according to data from the UN's International Organization for Migration.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

Copyright © 2026 Deutsche Welle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.