14 February 2018•Update: 14 February 2018
By Walid Abdullah
TRIPOLI
At least 22 illegal migrants were killed and dozens injured in a deadly truck crash in north-western Libya on Wednesday, according to a local Libyan official.
A truck carrying more than 100 migrants flipped over Bani Walid town, south of Tripoli, Ali al-Narqat, head of Bani Walid local council, told Anadolu Agency.
He said more than 78 migrants were injured, including some seriously.
He suggested that over-speed may have caused the accident.
Local Libyan channel Al Ahrar earlier said 19 migrants had been killed in the accident.
Bani Walid is a hub for smugglers who bring African migrants fleeing poverty in their home countries by road from neighboring countries up toward Libya’s Mediterranean coast to immigrate to Europe.
The ongoing turmoil in Libya has loosened security at the borders, further weakening local authorities' capabilities in combatting the phenomenon.
