At least 53 people are dead or missing after a migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast, with only two survivors rescued, the UN migration agency said.

The vessel overturned north of Zuwara after departing from Al-Zawiya late on Feb. 5, carrying migrants and refugees from several African countries.

The International Organization for Migration said the two survivors, Nigerian women, lost close family members and received emergency medical care after being rescued by Libyan authorities.

The IOM warned that smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants with dangerous, unseaworthy boats and urged stronger international cooperation and safer migration pathways, The Guardian has reported.

The incident adds to a growing toll, with more than 33,000 migrants dead or missing in the Mediterranean since 2014, including nearly 1,900 last year alone.