At least five Pakistani nationals are feared to have died in a tragic shipwreck near Alshab port in Tripolitania, off Libya’s coast, as part of two maritime disasters that have left dozens missing.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a total of at least 60 refugees and migrants are presumed dead or missing after two separate shipwrecks in Libyan waters. Only six individuals survived both incidents combined.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and all affected,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “With dozens feared dead and entire families in anguish, we urge the international community to step up search and rescue efforts and ensure safe and predictable disembarkation for survivors.”
The first shipwreck occurred on June 12 near Alshab port, where 21 individuals were reported missing and only five survivors were located. Among those feared drowned are six Eritreans — including three women and three children — five Pakistanis, four Egyptians, and two Sudanese men. The identities of four other victims remain unknown.
The second tragedy happened on June 13, roughly 35 kilometers west of Tobruk. A lone survivor, rescued by local fishermen, reported that 39 people aboard were lost at sea. In the following days, three bodies were recovered: two on Umm Aqiqih beach on June 14 and one on Elramla beach in Tobruk on June 15. Identification efforts are ongoing with the assistance of the Sudanese community.
So far in 2025, at least 743 migrants have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe, with 538 of those deaths occurring along the highly perilous Central Mediterranean route.
This latest tragedy follows another incident in April, when four Pakistani nationals died after a boat capsized near Harawa, off the coast of Sirte in eastern Libya.
In response to the growing crisis, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has pledged a decisive crackdown on human traffickers, vowing to dismantle the networks that prey on vulnerable migrants seeking a better life.
