Boat carrying 100 migrants capsizes off Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — A boat carrying more than 100 migrants capsized off the coast near the Libyan capital, a coast guard official said Sunday.

Abdel-Latif Mohammed said the coast guard found the damaged rubber boat off the shores of al-Qarbouli, 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Tripoli. The coast guard has not yet confirmed the number of deaths but estimated the boat carried at least 100 people.

Last week, at least 100 African migrants, including five children, drowned in the same area.

Libya has grown increasingly lawless since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, making it a migration hub for sub-Saharan Africans seeking a better life. Scores are killed every year on the dangerous journey to Europe.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up