PTIUpdated: Friday, November 13, 2020, 08:36 AM IST
Mediterranean sea : Refugees and migrants are rescued by members of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, after leaving Libya trying to reach European soil aboard an overcrowded rubber boat in the Mediterranean sea, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020. The Open Arms rescue ship had been searching for the boat in distress for hours before finally finding it Wednesday morning in international waters north of Libya. The NGO had just finished distributing life vests and masks to the passengers to begin transferring them to safety when the flimsy boat split in half throwing them into cold waters. | AP/PTI(AP12-11-2020_000010B)
The UN migration agency says at least 74 migrants have drowned after a Europe-bound ship broke down off the coast of Libya.
The tragedy on Thursday is the latest in a series of at least eight shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean since Oct. 1.
The boat was carrying over 120 migrants, including women and children, when it capsized off the coast of the Libyan port of al-Khums.
That's according to the International Organization for Migration. Only 47 people were rescued by the Libyan coast guard and fisherman and brought to shore.
