Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Libya says at least eight people, mainly children, died of suffocation inside a shipping container crammed with migrants in the western coastal city of Zuwara.
The city's security authorities said on Facebook on Monday that the deceased — six children, a woman and a young man — were among around 100 migrants packed into the locked container for a long time.
They say the other migrants, who are of African, Arab and Pakistani nationalities, were taken to local hospital for treatment.
It's the latest migrant tragedy in Libya, where human trafficking has thrived amid lawlessness since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Rival governments based in eastern and western Libya rely on militias to maintain order. However, some militias have become involved in human trafficking.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
