About 40 people are feared dead or missing after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Libya, a UN official has said.

Charlie Yaxley, a UN refugee agency spokesman, also said about 60 people may have been rescued.

"Terrible news coming in of potentially large loss of life in a shipwreck off the coast of Libya," he tweeted, adding that details still remained "sketchy".

"Around 60 people have been rescued and returned to shore. At least 40 people are estimated to be dead or missing."

Libyan coastguard spokesman Ayoub Gassim confirmed at least five bodies - including a child - were recovered near the town of Khoms, about 75 miles (120km) east of the capital Tripoli.


He said the coastguard rescued at least 65 migrants, mostly from Sudan, and that efforts were being made to locate those who were still missing.

An independent support group for those attempting to cross the Mediterranean - Alarm Phone - said up to 100 people were on the boat when it capsized.

It said it received a call from one of those on board who "were in severe distress, crying and shouting, telling us that people had died already".

Mr Yaxley later tweeted: "A rescue operation by local fishermen and the Libyan Coast Guard has been underway since this morning. Amongst the survivors includes people from Sudan, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

"If today's tragic numbers are confirmed, the number of people drowned in the Mediterranean in 2019 will have reached close to 900. UNHCR is calling for urgent increase in search+rescue capacity on the central Med, including lifting of restrictions on NGO boats.

Earlier this month: Gere joins migrants on rescue ship

"These tragedies are preventable. Cannot accept large loss of life each month as normal. More rescue capacity is needed inc return of EU State vessels NGOs should be free to save lives at sea. Greater efforts to give people hope so they don't risk these journeys in the 1st place."

Last week, more than 100 people died off the Libyan coast as a boat with about 250 people on board also capsized.

Thousands of people each year have died in the Mediterranean from among the hundreds of thousands trying to cross from North Africa to Europe.

Libya has become a major channel for African migrants and refugees fleeing to Europe following the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with traffickers exploiting the unrest since his death.

Almost 5,400 migrants have been intercepted or rescued at sea by the Libyan coastguard so far this year, according to the UN refugee agency.