Two survivors recount horror of losing children and spouses after rubber dinghy bound for Europe sinks near Zuwara in latest migration disaster.

The unforgiving waters of the Mediterranean have once again claimed dozens of lives, leaving a trail of grief that stretches from the North African coast to the heart of the continent.At least 53 migrants are feared dead or missing after their fragile rubber boat capsized off the coast of Libya, near the town of Zuwara. The vessel, which departed from Al-Zawiya with 55 hopeful souls on board, succumbed to the waves just six hours into its perilous journey, turning a voyage of hope into a nightmare.

"I Lost My Babies"

The scale of the tragedy was revealed by the only two survivors—two Nigerian women rescued by Libyan authorities. Their testimonies offer a harrowing glimpse into the final moments of the doomed vessel. One woman, shattered by shock and grief, reported that she watched her two babies drown in the chaos. The other survivor recounted the agony of losing her husband to the sea. "We just wanted a life," one was heard wailing, a sentiment that echoes the desperation driving thousands to risk everything on this deadly route.

• A Grim Tally: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that this incident brings the death toll on the Central Mediterranean route to at least 484 in just the first few weeks of 2026. In January alone, 375 people were reported dead or missing.
• The Smugglers' Trade: The boat, described as unseaworthy and overloaded, is yet another evidence of the ruthless efficiency of human trafficking networks operating with impunity in Libya. These syndicates continue to profit from human misery, launching rubber coffins into the sea with zero regard for human life.

The Silent Graveyard

The IOM has termed the Central Mediterranean an "invisible shipwreck," where hundreds of deaths go unrecorded, their stories lost beneath the waves. The capsizing off Zuwara is not an anomaly; it is a recurring horror that the international community has failed to halt.

As the two survivors receive emergency medical care in Tripoli, the world is left with yet another statistic—53 more lives extinguished in the pursuit of a dream that remains, for many, fatally out of reach.