At least 17 migrants have died and nine more are missing after their boat broke down and drifted for eight days in the Mediterranean Sea off eastern Libya, according to the Libyan Red Crescent and security officials. Seven survivors were rescued near Tobruk in a joint operation involving volunteers and naval and coast guard forces.

Libya remains a major transit route for migrants, many from sub-Saharan Africa, who attempt dangerous crossings toward Europe to escape conflict and poverty. Authorities said the bodies of the missing are expected to wash ashore in the coming days, and images released by the Red Crescent showed volunteers recovering and transporting the victims.

In separate developments, Libyan authorities recently sentenced four members of a trafficking network in western Libya to prison terms of up to 22 years for human trafficking, abduction, and torture. Prosecutors also ordered the arrest of another group accused of sending migrants on an unseaworthy vessel that capsized, killing 38 people.