AS THE bodies of the 114 people who died in four shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean this week began washing up on Libya’s shores today, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) revealed that the death toll in the region this year has now passed 900.

At least 74 people died in a shipwreck involving 120 people off the coast of al-Khums, east of Tripoli, on Thursday. Another 20 died in a separate incident in waters near the city of Surman.

On Wednesday, six refugees died, including a six-month-old baby boy, after their boat was ripped in half during a rescue operation by the non-government ship Open Arms.