TRIPOLI, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday said that 493 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the past week.

Between Jan. 5 and Jan. 11, "493 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya," IOM said in a statement.

The migrants include 47 women and 17 children, IOM added, noting that three bodies of migrants were retrieved.

In 2024, 21,762 migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 674 died and 1,015 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route, including those departing from Libya and other countries.

Since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the ensuing insecurity and chaos in Libya have prompted many migrants, primarily from Africa, to attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores. Enditem

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