61 migrants drown in 'shipwreck' off Libyan coast, migration organization says

LONDON -- At least 61 migrants drowned in a "shipwreck" off the coast of Libya, a migration organization said Saturday night.

Women and children were among the dead, according to the International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental group that's part of the United Nations network.

"The Central Mediterranean continues to be one of the world's most dangerous migration routes," IOM Libya said on social media.

The vessel left Zwara, Libya, with about 86 people onboard, survivors of the wreck told IOM Libya, according to the organization. IOM didn't say when the ship had sailed from the Libyan coastal city or detail how the wreck had occurred.

More than 2,250 people have died in the Central Mediterranean in 2023, Flavio Di Giacomo, an IOM spokesperson, said on social media.

"A dramatic number which unfortunately demonstrates that not enough is being done to save lives at sea," he said, writing in Italian.

The Central Mediterranean is among the region's most-traveled migratory routes, with most boats departing from Northern Africa and journeying to Europe, according to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

About 128,529 people arrived in Italy, Malta or Spain via the route in the first nine months of 2023, up from 87,503 the year prior, according to The U.N. Refugee Agency.

"Population movements due to forced displacement and migration in East, West and Central Africa are likely to continue in 2024 at the same pace as 2023 or at an even higher rate," the agency said.