At least five people, including children, died when a Europe-bound migrant boat carrying over 100 passengers capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya on Tuesday.

Forty people are still missing after the vessel sank near the western town of Khoms, according to Ayoub Gassim, a spokesman for Libya’s coast guard.

“Terrible news coming in of potentially large loss of life in a shipwreck off the coast of Libya,” the UN refugee agency said.

Sixty-five passengers — mainly from Sudan — have been rescued, said Gassim.

Alarm Phone, a support group for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, said passengers “were in severe distress, crying and shouting, telling us that people had died already,” according to a phone call they received from somebody aboard.

Many African migrants seeking refuge in Europe depart from Libya, especially since the 2011 uprising that killed Muammar Gaddafi.

Just last month, another vessel carrying hundreds of migrants capsized off the country’s coast.

With Post Wires