Libya Ships Capsize
Boat carrying migrants capsizes off Libyan coast, 1 dead, 22 missing
A boat carrying Europe-bound migrants capsized off the Libyan coast Tuesday, leaving one person dead and 22 missing, Libyan authorities said. The coast guard in the eastern Libyan town of Tobruk said the boat was carrying 32 migrants and that nine have been rescued. Survivors are being taken to a port in Tobruk, the coast guard said. The shipwreck was the latest sea tragedy off the North African nation which has in recent years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. Libya was plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Human traffickers in recent years have benefited from the disorder, smuggling in migrants across Libya's extensive borders, which it shares with six nations. The migrants are crowded onto ill-equipped vessels, including rubber boats, and set off on risky sea voyages.
 "Boat carrying migrants capsizes off Libyan coast, 1 dead, 22 missing")
Nine Indian merchant vessel sailors released after long captivity in Libya
Nine Indian sailors of a merchant vessel who were held captive for several months by a local militia in Libya have been released, people familiar with the development said on Saturday. After their release on Wednesday, the Indian nationals reached the Libyan capital of Tripoli where they were received by the Indian Ambassador to Tunisia. It is learnt that the group contacted the Indian embassy in Tunisia on February 15 and told it that Merchant Vessel MT Maya 1, where they were working, broke down near the coast of Libya and they have been taken into captivity by a local militia. The mission immediately took up the matter with the Libyan authorities seeking consular access and to ensure safety and repatriation of the group to India as early as possible. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian mission continued to follow up the matter with authorities concerned in Libya and kept the family members of the Indian nationals posted regularly about the developments in the case.
 "Nine Indian merchant vessel sailors released after long captivity in Libya")
UN says 15 Europe-bound migrants die at sea off Libya as boat capsizes
At least 15 Africans drowned when their boat capsized Sunday off Libya, a UN spokeswoman said, the second shipwreck involving migrants seeking a better life in Europe in just over a week.
 "UN says 15 Europe-bound migrants die at sea off Libya as boat capsizes")
At least 50 migrants feared drowned after ships capsized off Libyan coast
In another incident, on January 6, Libyan coast guards found a shipwreck, where 64 migrants had been drowned
 "At least 50 migrants feared drowned after ships capsized off Libyan coast")
