More than 70 migrants are feared to have died after a crammed small boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel had left the port of Tajoura, Libya, just hours before it began taking on water and capsized in turbulent weather conditions. An aircraft sent by German rescue group Sea-Watch found an overturned wooden boat with about 15 people desperately clinging to the hull, several people in the water and some bodies. The exact number of migrants who died remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from over 70 to up to 120.
Thirty-two survivors were found by a rescue effort involving an Italian merchant ship and one sent from Liberia. The survivors were transported to the Italian island of Lampedusa. Two bodies were also hauled onto the rescue ships. Those who lived are said to have told authorities that there were more than 100 people on the vessel. The International Organisation for Migration fears there could have been up to 120 people on the vessel.
In a second incident, at least 14 migrants have drowned after a boat they were travelling in collided with a coast guard vessel off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast during a chase. The collision happened near the coast of Demre, in Antalya province, on Monday. The vessel, which was carrying Afghans, ignored calls to stop and tried at high-speed to escape coast guard boats.
Seven people were rescued from the sea by coast guard teams and given immediate medical care. Fourteen others reached the shore where they were detained by police officers. Search and rescue operations were continuing by land, sea and air to find any remaining survivors who could still be missing. Authorities have launched both a judicial and an administrative investigation into the incident.
In a third disaster, at least nine people are dead and 45 are missing after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti. The boat was en route to Yemen. It capsized on Tuesday while attempting to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
A search continues for possible survivors. The sea was very rough, and there were also strong winds. Testimonies from the survivors described an extremely heavy load for the boat. The boat was carrying more than 300 people and had left the Djiboutian port town of Obock. The shipwreck was the first this year in the area.
These incidents add to a grim toll for 2026. More than 600 people trying to reach Europe have been reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2026. At least 725 migrants have disappeared in the ocean between northern Africa and Europe in 2026 alone.
Safety concerns have been raised across the incidents. The migrants had been aboard a boat very unsuitable for crossing the Mediterranean.