Up to 150 people are feared to have died in a shipwreck off the coast of Libya, while another 150 were rescued and are being returned to Libya, the UN refugee agency UNHCR has said.
The ship left Libya from Al Khoms and there were about 300 people travelling, according to the first available accounts from survivors. It was unclear if one or two vessels were involved.
The survivors were picked up by local fishermen and returned to the coast by the Libyan coastguard, the UNHCR said.
If confirmed, the number of dead would be the highest for a shipwreck in the Mediterranean this year.
Libya is a hub for migrants, many of whom try to reach Europe in unseaworthy boats. The UNHCR and other UN agencies have repeatedly called for survivors not to be returned to Libya, a conflict zone where rescued migrants and refugees are routinely jailed in inhumane conditions.
