Two Nigerians, who were part of the 42 missing refugees and migrants in a boat accident on the Mediterranean route, have been presumed dead.
The International Organisation for Migration disclosed in a statement obtained on its website on Thursday that two other Nigerians were rescued alive in the incident.
According to the statement, the incident happened on November 8 when a high wave caused the boat’s engine to capsize, leading to all passengers being thrown overboard.
The statement added that out of the 49 migrants, only seven survived the accident, while 42 were missing and presumed dead.
The statement read, “According to survivors, the vessel, carrying 49 migrants and refugees (47 men and two women), departed from Zuwara on November 3, around 03:00 a.m. Approximately six hours later, high waves caused the engine to fail, capsizing the boat and throwing all passengers overboard.
“After drifting at sea for six days, only seven men – four from Sudan, two from Nigeria, and one from Cameroon – were rescued. Tragically, 42 individuals remain missing and are presumed dead, including 29 from Sudan, eight from Somalia, three from Cameroon, and two from Nigeria.
“IOM’s team provided the survivors with emergency medical care, water, and food upon arrival at the disembarkation point in coordination with relevant authorities.”
The statement noted that the incident joins the growing number of migrants and refugees who have lost their lives in boat accidents, a figure that has risen to over 1,000 deaths in 2025.
“This tragic event, coming just weeks after other deadly incidents off Surman and Lampedusa, underscores the persistent dangers faced by migrants and refugees along the Central Mediterranean Route.
“According to the latest data from IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, the death toll in the Central Mediterranean has already surpassed 1,000 this year. With this newest shipwreck, the total has risen even further, reinforcing the urgent need for strengthened regional cooperation, expanded safe and regular migration pathways, and more effective search and rescue operations to prevent further loss of life,” the statement concluded.
This is not the first instance of a boat accident on the Mediterranean route claiming several lives.
A similar incident in December 2023, that about 61 migrants were missing and presumed dead after their boat sank off Libya’s coast.
The IOM had stated that 86 people were aboard the boat when it sank.
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