Three Dead and Dozens Rescued After Overcrowded Migrant Boat Sinks Off Libya

A coffin on the dock of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa after migrants were rescued

At least three young girls have died and one person remains missing after a dangerously overcrowded migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.

Humanitarian group RESQSHIP confirmed its rescue vessel Nadir intercepted the inflatable boat after it departed from Zuwara, Libya, overnight on Friday. The vessel had been battered by waves up to five feet, leaving the 65 migrants on board — including three pregnant women, children, and a seven-month-old baby — in critical danger.

One person fell overboard earlier in the crossing and has not been located, according to the charity.

The Italian coastguard evacuated 14 passengers in urgent need of medical treatment, along with their relatives, and transported them to Lampedusa on Saturday afternoon. Later in the day, the Nadir arrived on the island carrying the remaining survivors and the bodies of the three girls.

A view of a partially flooded dinghy at the site of a rescue operation

The tragedy comes amid mounting pressure across southern Europe as migrant arrivals surge. Spain’s island regions — including Majorca, Ibiza, and Tenerife — have reported near-daily landings, with more than 4,700 migrants reaching Majorca, Ibiza, and Formentera this summer alone. Local officials say residents are at their “wits’ end” as communities struggle to cope.

In Portugal, 38 migrants, including seven children, arrived on a wooden boat Friday evening near Vila do Bispo in the Algarve. Video footage showed the group disembarking as stunned beachgoers looked on. The dehydrated and exhausted migrants were quickly detained by authorities near the tourist hotspot of Burgau.

Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, migrant Channel crossings have surpassed 50,000 this year, equating to one illegal entry every 11 minutes, according to government figures.

The humanitarian crisis continues to intensify across Europe’s coastlines, with rescue charities warning that overcrowded boats, treacherous seas, and insufficient resources are fueling further tragedies.