GENEVA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A series of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean since March 28 have left more than 180 people feared dead or missing, pushing the total number of deaths or disappearances in the region this year to nearly 1,000, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

According to the IOM, the casualties stem largely from several recent incidents.

On April 5, a vessel carrying around 120 people capsized in the Central Mediterranean after departing from Tajoura, Libya, leaving more than 80 migrants missing.

On April 1, 19 people were found dead aboard a boat near Lampedusa in southern Italy. Survivors said the vessel had departed from Zuara, Libya, overnight between March 28 and 29.

On the same day, at least 19 migrants died when a rubber boat capsized in the Aegean Sea near Bodrum, Turkey, while heading toward Greece. Several others were rescued.

In addition, a shipwreck near Sfax, Tunisia, on March 30 left 19 people dead and around 20 missing, while another vessel that departed from eastern Libya sank near Crete, Greece, on March 28, killing at least 22 people.

The IOM said that since the beginning of 2026, at least 990 people have been recorded dead or missing in the Mediterranean, making it one of the deadliest starts to a year since 2014. ■