Two irregular Egyptian migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean, while the search for 19 others is still underway following the sinking of a migrant boat from Libya to Italy.

Libyan authorities said they had found six surviving Egyptians and two bodies. They added that the boat was dilapidated and unseaworthy and had sunk due to overload.

The Egyptian Ministry of Immigration did not issue any comment on the incident. Six, including five children, had died about two weeks ago in a similar accident.

The International Organization for Migration said that at least 192 irregular migrants drowned in the Mediterranean in January and February of this year, while the Libyan authorities intercepted more than 2,930 other migrants while trying to migrate. Migrants who fail to cross the European side are transferred to Libyan detention centres rife with abuse and mistreatment.