130 migrants feared dead after shipwreck off Libyan

A Libyan coast guard official told Associated Press that they searched for the boat but could not find it with their limited resources.

At least 130 Europe-bound migrants are feared dead in a shipwreck off Libya, independent rescue groups said, in the latest loss of life as attempts to cross the Mediterranean increase during the warmer months.

Debris from a dinghy which was supposedly carrying over 100 migrants are seen floating in the Mediterranean Sea northeast of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, (AP)

Various humanitarian organisations in recent years have accused the Libyan coast guard and European authorities of failing to meet their responsibilities to save lives.

A Libyan coast guard official told Associated Press that they searched for the boat but could not find it with their limited resources.

SOS Mediterranee, which operates the rescue vessel Ocean Viking, announced late on Thursday that the capsized rubber boat, which was initially carrying around 130 people, was spotted in the Mediterranean Sea northeast of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The aid vessel did not find any survivors, but could see at least ten bodies near the wreck.