Libyan security authorities have recovered the bodies of at least six migrants in the southeast of the country after their vehicle broke down in the desert, according to the Alwahat Security Directorate.
The bodies were found in a desert area about 200km (124 miles) northwest of Jalu, the Directorate said in a statement on Tuesday.
Two of the bodies were discovered inside the broken-down vehicle, while three others were found about 4km (2.5 miles) away. Another body was located roughly 10km (six miles) from the vehicle after security personnel tracked footprints in the desert.
The Directorate said 19 migrants were rescued on Sunday in connection with the incident, although it did not specify where they were found.
Documents from the vehicle indicated that its owner was from Chad, according to the Directorate. The owner’s brother, who was among those rescued, reportedly told authorities that another vehicle travelling with the group took fuel from the disabled vehicle before continuing its journey.
Libya has become a major transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty who attempt to reach Europe through dangerous desert routes and across the Mediterranean.
The Directorate also released photographs showing security personnel and members of the Fifth Battalion of the 129th Brigade recovering the bodies in the desert.
This version sticks strictly to what the source establishes. No speculation about the cause of death, no assumption about dehydration or lack of fuel, and no embellishment.
