Hundreds of people are feared dead
after two boats carrying up to 500 migrants capsized off the Libyan city
of Zuwara, residents and officials say.
The first boat, which signalled for help early on Thursday, had nearly 50 people on board.
The second, which sank much later, had as many as 400 passengers.
The Libyan coastguard is still conducting a rescue operation for that boat, but most of those who were on board are feared dead.
At least 100 bodies were taken to a hospital in Zuwara, west of Tripoli, a resident told the BBC.
The
victims included migrants from Syria, Bangladesh and several
sub-Saharan African countries, the resident said, but the information
could not be independently verified.
At least 20 migrants have reportedly been rescued from the two incidents.
About 2,400 migrants have died trying to cross the sea to Europe so far this year, the UN says.
More than 100,000 others have landed in Italy, whilst another 160,000 have crossed to Greece.
On Wednesday, the bodies of at least 51 people were found in the hold of a stricken ship off Libya's coast.
They
were picked up by a Swedish coastguard ship that also rescued more than
400 survivors - among at least 3,000 migrants saved that day.
The Swedish ship, Poseidon, docked in the port of Palermo, Sicily, on Thursday. Image caption
The Poseidon brought bodies and survivors to Sicily
On Saturday, about 4,400 migrants were rescued from
boats off the coast of Libya, in one of the biggest single-day
operations mounted to date.
Many of those who attempt the journey
are fleeing conflict or persecution, and set off from Libya in boats
organised by smugglers. Libya has had two competing governments for the
past year and is largely ruled by rival militias.
The Libyan
coastguard has limited capacity to undertake large-scale rescue missions
at sea, BBC North Africa correspondent Rana Jawad reports from Tunis.
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