At Least 8 Migrants Die in Capsized Boat Off Libyan Coast

At least eight migrants, all men, died after a boat carrying at least 150 migrants bound for Europe capsized off the coast of Libya, the Libyan Red Crescent organization said on Wednesday. Some 84 for the migrants were rescued and taken to a government-run detention center for migrants. The bodies washed up on the shore near Castelverde, which is located about 25 miles east of Tripoli.

In 2022, at least 529 migrants were reported dead and 848 others missing off Libya, while over 24,680 were intercepted, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration.

Libya is a popular jumping off point for migrants, due to its proximity to Italy, a European Union country.