At least 61 people perished when a vessel carrying migrants sank off the Libyan coast. The incident drew attention to the Libyan coast guard’s struggle to manage increasingly dangerous crossings, and it prompted a message from the IOM, the International Organization for Migration, via its Libyan branch on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The report noted that women and children were among the victims, and it did not provide a detailed cause for the disaster.
Official summaries indicate that the boat departed Libya with roughly 86 passengers on board, though the intended destination remains unclear. The agency cited by AFP also indicated that the majority of those aboard were nationals of Nigeria, The Gambia, and other African nations. IOM officials reported delivering medical aid to survivors and transferring 25 individuals to a holding center near Tripoli for further assistance and processing.
Earlier, another vessel, the Raptor, sank off the coast of Lesbos, Greece. Local reports suggested the ship was en route to Ukraine, carrying a suspicious cargo, according to Kathimerini. The incident involved 14 crew members, with one survivor reported. This tragedy underscores the perilous routes that migrants undertake in search of safety and stability.
In a separate domestic incident within Ukraine, a village council deputy, Sergei Batrin, reportedly argued with colleagues, left a meeting, and returned with three grenades, which were subsequently used in an explosion. The event has raised concerns about security and political tensions within the region, illustrating how crises can intersect with everyday governance.