Qasr al-Akhyar, Libya. At least five bodies of migrants, including two women, have washed ashore in the coastal town of Qasr al-Akhyar east of Tripoli, a police officer said on Saturday. Police said a child’s body was also reported to have washed ashore but was swept back out to sea.
Bodies found on Emhamid Al-Sharif shore
Hassan Al-Ghawil, head of investigations at the Qasr Al-Akhyar police station, said the bodies were found on Emhamid Al-Sharif shore in the western part of the town by people who reported the discovery to the police station.
Al-Ghawil said the bodies were all dark-skinned people. He said that according to people in the area, a child’s body washed ashore and, because of the waves’ height, returned to the sea, and the coast guard was asked to search for it.
Recovery efforts and images
Al-Ghawil said the police reported the incident to the Red Crescent to recover the bodies. He added that the bodies found were still intact and that he believed more bodies could wash ashore.
Pictures posted on the internet and seen by Reuters showed the bodies lying on the shore, with some still within black inflatable lifebuoys.
Migrant route through Libya
Libya has become a transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe across the Mediterranean since the fall in 2011 of Muammar Gaddafi in a Nato-backed uprising. Factional conflict has split the country into western and eastern factions since 2014.
Qasr al-Akhyar is about 73 kilometers east of Tripoli.
Recent incidents and UN warning
Earlier this month, 53 migrants, including two babies, were dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off the coast of Zuwara town in western Tripoli, the International Organisation for Migration said.
Last week, a UN report said migrants in Libya, including young girls, are at risk of being killed, tortured, raped or put into domestic slavery, and called for a moratorium on the return of migrant boats to the country until human rights are ensured.
What measures do you think should be taken to improve migrant safety along Libya’s coast?
