The Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli has confirmed the death of 37 Bangladeshi migrants in a boat capsize in Mediterranean Sea. The embassy confirmed the matter on Sunday, reports UNB.

ASM Ashraful Islam, labour counsellor of Bangladesh embassy in Tripoli, said: "Primarily, we came to know there were 51 Bangladeshis on the boat and 37 of them have died." These migrants died while going to Europe on May 10.

He said the embassy is in touch with Red Crescent in Tunisia to find out details. "We are yet to reach Tunisia. We hope to reach there today [Sunday]."

Mongi Slim, head of Tunisia’s Red Crescent, on Saturday said around 75 migrants had left Libya’s Zouara on the boat. The BBC Bangla, quoting other agencies, claimed that most of the victims were Bangladeshis.

Slim told the Associated Press that only 16 people have been rescued by a Tunisian fishing boat and 14 of them were Bangladeshis.

He said the missing people are from Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, and unspecified countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

The boat capsize was dubbed the "deadliest migrant boat sinking since January” by the International Organization for Migration.

Many Bangladeshis choose the risky way to reach Europe in the hope of a better life while a number of them often die in the seas.

At least 164 people have drowned in the first four months while crossing the sea from Libya to Europe, according to the UN.

Deshsangbad/fh/mmh