At least 18 migrants have died and around 50 others are missing after a boat sank off the coast of eastern Libya, a media report said on Wednesday.
Reuters, citing the International Organization for Migration (IOM), reported that the incident occurred near the city of Tobruk, close to the Egyptian border.
The IOM said that 10 people have been rescued so far, while approximately 50 remain unaccounted for.
A diplomatic source from the Egyptian consulate in Benghazi told Reuters that the migrants were Egyptian nationals.
He confirmed that the survivors are currently being held in an anti-illegal migration facility.
A Libyan Coast Guard official said that the bodies of the deceased were recovered from Alaghila Beach, about 25 kilometers east of Tobruk.
Tobruk is a major coastal city located in eastern Libya near the border with Egypt.
hz/sa
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