Four migrants died after two boats carrying close to 100 people capsized off the coast of Libya. Libya’s Red Crescent confirmed the incident and said its team joined a major overnight rescue operation.
The group said the victims were among 26 Bangladeshis travelling in one of the boats. The second boat carried 69 migrants.
Most of them were Sudanese, and two were Egyptian. Eight children were also on board. The organisation said no deaths occurred on the second vessel.
Officials said they received an alert late Friday after both boats capsized in the Mediterranean Sea.
The boats had departed from Khoms, a coastal city located about 120 kilometres east of Tripoli. The rescue team worked with the Libyan coast guard and port authorities to pull survivors from the water.
Photos shared by the Red Crescent on Saturday showed survivors receiving medical care, clothes and blankets.
Images also revealed body bags containing the four dead migrants.
Libya remains a major transit point for thousands of migrants trying to reach Europe each year.
Many attempt the dangerous Mediterranean route despite frequent shipwrecks.
Earlier in the week, the International Organization for Migration said another boat that left Libya had sunk.
The agency reported that 42 migrants remained missing and were presumed dead.
The UN refugee agency said more than 1,700 people have died or gone missing this year while attempting to cross the Mediterranean or travel along routes off West Africa.
Missing Migrants, an IOM project, said more than 33,000 migrants have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean since 2014.