At least 17 bodies believed to be migrants have been recovered in recent days along the coast west of Libya’s capital, medics said on Saturday, underscoring the deadly risks of Mediterranean crossings.
The Emergency Medicine and Support Center said the remains were found on the shores near Zuwara, a coastal town about 117 kilometres west of Tripoli, where waves often carry tragic evidence of failed journeys.
Authorities said 14 bodies have been buried in line with established protocols, while one Bangladeshi national was identified and returned to his family in Tripoli for burial and mourning.
The identities of the remaining two bodies have not yet been confirmed, and officials provided no additional details about ongoing identification efforts or possible origins of the deceased.
Photographs published on the centre’s verified Facebook page showed medical teams carefully placing the bodies into white plastic bags before transferring them into ambulances under a muted coastal sky.
The scenes reflected a grim rhythm along Libya’s shores, where rescue workers often confront the aftermath of perilous sea crossings driven by conflict and economic desperation.
Libya has remained a key transit hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
Smuggling networks continue to exploit instability, sending vulnerable people across deserts and the Mediterranean in overcrowded and unsafe vessels.
The latest recoveries add to a growing toll of lives lost on one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes, where hope and tragedy collide at sea.