20 Migrant Bodies Found in Libyan Desert

FILE- Security personnel recover bodies of migrants in the area between Kufra city and Chadian border with Libya June 28, 2022.

Twenty migrants who had become lost in the Libyan desert near Chad were found dead, according to the paramedic service's report on Wednesday, which included images of them lying by a black pick-up truck in the sand.

A truck driver in the Libyan desert came upon 20 migrant remains, which were found and collected on Tuesday roughly 320 kilometers from Kufra and 120 kilometers from the Chadian border.

"The driver got lost ... and we believe the group died in the desert about 14 days ago since the last call on a mobile phone there was on June 13," Kufra ambulance chief Ibrahim Belhasan said by phone.

Two of the bodies were Libyans and the others were believed to be migrants from Chad crossing illegally into Libya, Belhasan added.

Libya has become a major launching point for migrants seeking to reach Europe via the dangerous route across the desert and over the Mediterranean.

However, despite the conflict, its oil-based economy is also a draw for migrants seeking work.