Over 80 migrants feared drowned while trying to cross Mediterranean: UN IOM

IOM spokesperson Joel Millman said that one of four male survivors suffering from hypothermia - a 29-year-old national from Cote d’Ivoire – has since died.

Staying with Libya, the UN Migration Agency also reported on Friday that more than 80 migrants are feared drowned after their vessel capsized while trying to reach Europe from the Libyan port of Zwara earlier this week.

IOM spokesperson Joel Millman said that one of four male survivors suffering from hypothermia - a 29-year-old national from Cote d’Ivoire – has since died.

“The survivors told IOM staff that the inflatable boat carrying 86 people including four women and two children, left Zwara around 6 am on 1 July”, he said. “A few hours later, the boat began to leak and capsized due to the confusion and frantic movements of dozens of people on board.”

So far this year, the UN migration agency has reported 426 deaths from drowning linked to attempts to cross the central Mediterranean route to Europe.

In May, two rescues were carried out on two overloaded crafts that left Libya, which continues to be used by traffickers. On one vessel, 59 people went missing and 16 were rescued, IOM said. And on the second, 69 were saved.