KHUMS, Libya (Reuters] – More than a dozen migrants drowned crossing the Mediterranean towards Europe while trying to reach Europe by sea, washed up along Libya’s coast late Saturday night, the Red Crescent and its interior ministry said.

Libya is the main transit point of migrants from African countries who want better opportunities in Europe.

According to the Red Crescent of Khums in west Libya, 17 bodies, including one infant, were recovered from Alous beach on Saturday. Another 10 bodies were found at another beach.

Later, the Interior Ministry announced that 14 bodies were recovered from 60 missing people at sea.

The statements did not indicate if the messages were referring to one group. Officials from the interior ministry were unavailable for comment immediately.

Osama Al-Saket (head of Khums Hospital that took the bodies after receiving calls from IOM and the police) stated, “They were at sea for about one day.”

Al-Saket added that “the bodies were still intact” and there were fourteen of them along with one baby.

After several years of decreasing numbers, this year’s attempt to cross the Mediterranean has seen a rise in numbers. Last week, about 1,500 drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean in 2021. This was according to IOM (United Nations migration agency).

According to the Missing Migrants Project of the agency, the Central Mediterranean route has been designated as the worst known migration route. There have been more than 17,000 reported deaths or disappearances along the route since 2014.

Khums Red Crescent photographs showed bodies left on the beach and workers putting them into bags.