At least four Bangladeshi nationals died after two boats carrying 95 irregular migrants capsized off the coast of Al Khums, Libya on Thursday, according to the Libyan Red Crescent.
In a statement posted on its verified Facebook page on Saturday, the Libyan Red Crescent said the first boat was carrying 26 migrants from Bangladesh, four of whom died. The second boat had 69 migrants on board, including two Egyptians and dozens of Sudanese, though their condition was not disclosed.
Khums, a coastal city situated about 118 kms east of the capital Tripoli, was the site of the latest tragedy. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday reported that at least 42 migrants went missing and were presumed dead after a rubber boat sank near the Al Buri oilfield, an offshore facility located north-northwest of the Libyan coast.
Photographs released by the Khums Red Crescent showed bodies in black plastic bags laid out on the floor, while volunteers administered first aid to survivors. Other images depicted rescued migrants wrapped in thermal blankets as they sat on the ground.
The Red Crescent added that the Coast Guard and the Khums Port Security Agency participated in the rescue efforts, and that the recovered bodies were transferred to the relevant authorities as directed by the city’s public prosecution.
Bangladeshis among 123 undocumented workers detained in Malaysia
Meanwhile, Malaysian authorities detained 123 undocumented Asian workers, including Bangladeshis, in a Johor plastic factory raid on 14 November after weeks of monitoring.
Some workers tried to escape and hide in storage rooms, but enforcement teams from the Johor Immigration Department and the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency secured all exits and apprehended them.
Officials said the detainees, both men and women aged 20 to 48, are from Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, India, and Pakistan. All were found working without valid permits and have been sent to the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot for further investigation, according to a report published in The Straits Times.
Johor State Immigration Director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the factory had been under surveillance after intelligence indicated it employed a large number of undocumented workers.
A local staff member, who served as the factory’s human resources officer, was also arrested for allegedly facilitating illegal hiring.