(File photo) Arrested Migrants in Libya who later found their way to Europe

The bodies of 26 migrants have been recovered off the Libyan coast, a local official said on Saturday.

The bodies washed up on Friday on a beach in the city of Sabratha, around 60 kilometres west of Tripoli, Zakaraia al-Keep, an official at the Sabratha municipal council told dpa.

“All the bodies belonged to persons from Sub-Saharan African countries.”

He added that authorities evacuated holidaymakers from the beach and closed it for several days.

It was not clear when the incident occurred.

Elsewhere in Libya, the coastguard on Friday rescued 137 migrants near Tripoli as they tried to reach Europe in a rubber boat, another official said.

The migrants, who included 27 women and two children, were rescued off the Gharbuli coast, 35 kilometres east of Tripoli, spokesman for the Libyan Navy Ayub Ghasem told Libya al-Rasmeya broadcaster.

Libya has descended into chaos since the 2011 revolt that toppled long-time dictator Moamer Gaddafi.

The country has since turned into a major hub for migrants seeking to go to Europe via people-smuggling routes.

This year’s death toll for migrants crossing the Mediterranean is close to 3,000, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday.

Most of the deaths have happened on the central Mediterranean route from Libya to Italy.

But IOM Libya chief Othman Belbeisi said the Libyan coastguard has improved its data collection on migrants trying to reach Europe and has shown some success in preventing these dangerous journeys. (dpa/NAN)