Two Nigerians Feared Dead as Migrant Boat Capsizes in Mediterranean, Dozens Missing

|By Adejumo Adekunle

Two Nigerians are among 42 migrants feared dead after their overcrowded boat capsized in the central Mediterranean, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has confirmed.

The vessel, which left Zuwara, Libya, on November 3, overturned five days later when strong waves disabled its engine and hurled all 49 passengers into the open sea. According to the IOM, only seven people survived the disaster — including two Nigerians — after drifting for six days before rescue teams found them.

The missing passengers include 29 Sudanese, eight Somalis, three Cameroonians and two Nigerians, underscoring the escalating dangers faced by migrants escaping conflict, poverty and political instability across Africa.

IOM officials said their humanitarian workers immediately treated the survivors with medical support, water and food upon disembarkation. The agency warned that the incident adds to the soaring death toll along the Central Mediterranean Route, where more than 1,000 people have died in 2025 alone, making it one of the world’s deadliest migration paths.

“This tragic event, coming just weeks after other deadly incidents off Surman and Lampedusa, showcases the persistent dangers faced by migrants and refugees,” the organisation said, renewing calls for stronger regional cooperation, safer travel alternatives and more effective search-and-rescue missions.

The Mediterranean has become synonymous with repeated maritime disasters as smugglers continue to ferry migrants in unsafe, overcrowded boats. In December 2023, a similar wreck off Libya left more than 60 people missing and presumed dead. Despite the mounting casualties, Libya remains a major departure point for migrants attempting the dangerous journey to Europe.