Tripoli, Sep 26 (IANS) Twenty-two migrants, including Bangladeshis, have been rescued after a boat capsized off the coast of Libya. Three people have been killed and at least 18 are missing. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement on Friday that the boat sank in the Mediterranean on Thursday night. News AFP and Al-Jazeera.

It was not immediately clear who the missing persons were. However, two of the three dead were Syrians. The other is a Ghanaian citizen.

IOM spokeswoman Safa Masehli said the 22 people rescued included citizens of Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Niger, Somalia, Syria and Ghana. The 22 were rescued with the help of the Libyan Coast Guard. They were later taken to the Jaliten detention center in Libya.

The Libyan Coast Guard says the death toll from the sinking could rise. Work is underway to rescue the missing persons.

According to the IOM, more than 100,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe last year. Of these, more than 1,200 people have died. So far this year, more than 300 migrants and refugees have died off the coast of Libya. On September 15, 20 people died when the boat sank.