Egyptian authorities discovered the bodies of 17 irregular migrants after an inflatable boat drifted onto the shores of Sidi Barrani in western Egypt, amid indications that the journey began from the Libyan coast.

The Public Prosecution in Matrouh Governorate has launched investigations to identify the victims, while preliminary reports suggest that some were Egyptian nationals, in addition to migrants from African and Asian countries.

The incident comes as attempts to cross the Mediterranean continue despite Egypt’s tightened border controls since the Rashid disaster in 2016.