GENEVA:

Eighteen people perished when a wooden vessel carrying dozens of migrants capsized off the coast of Libya on Tuesday, while 64 people were rescued, the United Nations' migration agency said.

The vessel "capsized only a few hours into its journey due to high waves", the International Organization for Migration said in a statement, adding that the accident had occurred off the coast of Surman, Libya.

"Among the survivors are 29 Sudanese men, one Sudanese woman, and one Sudanese child; 18 Bangladeshi men; 12 Pakistani men; and three Somali men," it said. No information was yet available about the nationalities of those who died.

"This latest shipwreck is a stark reminder of the grave dangers faced by people undertaking perilous sea journeys in search of safety and opportunity," th

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