Boat capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea, leaving two babies dead; Several missing or presumed dead as survivors reveal sequence of events; What do we know so far

Boat capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea: A tragedy occurred in the Mediterranean Sea where two babies are among the dozens of people dead or missing after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Libya. At least 53 migrants have been declared dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 individuals capsized north of Zuwara, Libya, three days prior, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday, February 9, 2026, according to PEOPLE.

2 Nigerian women survived

The UN migration agency revealed that two Nigerian women survived the shipwreck and were provided emergency medical care by Libyan authorities upon their rescue. One of the survivors reported losing her husband, while the other woman said she lost her two babies in the tragic accident.

Survivors reveal sequence of events

Elaborating on the accounts of survivors about the capsizing incident, the UN migration agency said, “The boat carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, at around 11:00 p.m. on 5 February,” as quoted by PEOPLE. “Approximately six hours later, it capsized after taking on water,” it added.

“IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route,” the agency further stated. The latest incident increased the number of migrants reported missing or dead by at least 484 so far in 2026. In 2025, 1,300 migrants were reported missing along the Central Mediterranean route.

Mediterranea Saving Humans on Boat Capsizing Incident

Following the tragedy, Mediterranea Saving Humans claimed that the incident was “the direct result of European border closure policies, agreements with Libya, and criminalization of sea aid,” as quoted by PEOPLE. It is a civil society group that attempts to rescue migrants from shipwrecks.

“Not only names are missing here: the political will to not let people die in the Mediterranean is missing,” the organization wrote on social media.

“When safe ways are denied, risking your life at sea is the only option. These deaths are the product of precise decisions, of armed borders, of policies that decide every day who can live and who can die."

Over 350 migrants were reported dead or missing in January 2026

In January 2026 alone, at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing following “invisible” shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean that were left unrecorded amid extreme weather conditions, according to data collected by the IOM.