At least 15 bodies of migrants, including women, were recovered over the past week along Libya’s eastern Mediterranean coast. Security, naval, and medical sources confirmed the information to Reuters on Saturday, saying the victims likely drowned after a boat sank. A naval source reported that about 10 people were rescued alive, and survivors said around 61 people had been on board. The bodies were found near the coastal areas of Tobruk, close to the Egyptian border, with some already decomposed. Officials warned that more bodies might still be in the area.

Photos posted on the Tobruk Red Crescent’s Facebook page showed volunteers in white protective suits collecting bodies from rocky shores and placing them in white bags. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s government in 2011, Libya’s coast has become a major route for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. Many people fleeing conflict and poverty risk the dangerous sea journey, while others come to Libya seeking limited job opportunities in its oil-based economy.

In a separate incident, Libya’s Emergency Medicine and Support Center in Tripoli reported rescuing 13 migrants alive after another boat accident, providing them with necessary medical care.