On the latest tragedy involving one of the world's deadliest migration routes, 28 dead bodies of migrants have been washed up on Libya's western coast after their boat was sunk. 

"Libyan Red Crescent teams recovered 28 bodies of dead migrants and found three survivors from two different sites on the beaches of al-Alous, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) from Tripoli," according to a source.

"The bodies' advanced state of decomposition indicates that the shipwreck occurred several days ago," it said, adding, "the toll could rise in the upcoming hours."

Images published by Libyan media outlets showed the corpses lined up along the shore then placed in body bags.

Libya, wracked by a decade of conflict and lawlessness, has become a key departure point of Asian and African migrants making desperate attempts to reach Europe.

According to International Organization for Migration (IOM), the latest tragedy comes just after 160 migrants died within a week in similar incidents, bringing the number of casualties to 1,500. 

Migrants often endure horrific conditions in Libya before embarking northwards on overcrowded, often unseaworthy vessels that have been frequently sunk or gotten into trouble.

The IOM says that more than 30,000 migrants have been caught in the same period and returned to Libya. The number of migrants who have died at sea while reaching Europe has doubled this year.

The European (EU) cooperated closely with the Libyan Coast Guard to cut the number of migrants arriving on European shores.

During their return, many face further horrific abuses in detention centers.
Rights groups have regularly warned of dire conditions for migrants at detention centers in the country, where human traffickers have profited from decades of violence following the 2011 fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi to crave out the lucrative but brutal Businesses.