Close to 100 refugees found dead near Libya since Sunday

By Fatih Erel

GENEVA

Nearly 100 refugees have died in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya since Sunday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

"The Mediterranean remains the deadliest route for migrants on our planet," IOM Director General William Lacy Swing said in a statement.

These figures from Libya are "based on reports of bodies being found near the Libyan coastline. At least two sightings - of 85 corpses in one area, and ten in another - have been reported," the IOM said.

According to the IOM, some 2,987 refugees have died attempting to cross Mediterranean to reach Europe this year.

Some 557,899 people – more than double last full year's figure of 219,000 refugees – reached Europe via the Mediterranean, including 421,341 people landing in Greece and 133,451 in Italy, the IOM said.

The largest national group comes from Syria, where refugees have fled the four-year civil war.