Four Turkish and South African engineers working for the Turkish construction firm Enka were kidnapped in southwest Libya on Friday, a Libyan state electricity official said.

Reuters reports that the four were seized while travelling from the airport in the town of Ubari to a power plant they were helping to build.

There was no immediate indication who had abducted them.

Work at the Ubari plant has been going on for years, disrupted periodically by tribal clashes or other security problems.

Enka said it was in contact with Turkish and Libyan authorities.

Kidnaping is rife in the North African country, fuelled by the political void created by the chaos that erupted after the killing of long-serving leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Libya has since also become a preferred departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.