• 42 migrants are missing and presumed dead after a boat capsized off Libya.
• 7 survivors were rescued after 6 days adrift at sea.
• The incident illustrates the growing dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean.

The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that at least 42 migrants are presumed dead after their rubber boat capsized off the Libyan coast. The vessel, which had departed from Zuwara, was carrying 49 migrants when it overturned on November 3. Of those on board, seven survivors were rescued six days later, with the missing including 29 from Sudan, 8 from Somalia, 3 from Cameroon, and 2 from Nigeria, according to reports from CBS News, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and Los Angeles Times.

The IOM has highlighted that the death toll in the Central Mediterranean continues to rise, with more than 1,000 migrant deaths reported since the start of the year. The recent tragedy underscores the ongoing dangers faced by those attempting to migrate from Africa to Europe amid dire conditions. This incident is part of a broader pattern, as the IOM has recorded substantial loss of life, soaring to 2,452 deaths in total for the current year across the Mediterranean, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

The retrieved survivors have received medical assistance; some are reported to be stable after suffering from severe dehydration and skin irritations. The humanitarian crisis along the Central Mediterranean remains critical, highlighting the urgent need for improved rescue operations and safe migration pathways, as stressed by the IOM. This incident follows a history of violence and abuse faced by migrants in Libya, as documented by human rights organizations, according to CBS News, Reuters, and Los Angeles Times.