The bodies of 40 people thought to be migrants have been discovered on beaches around a city 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of Tripoli, the Libyan Red Crescent said.
"Local residents told us about bodies on the beaches around Zliten," spokesman Mohamed al-Misrati said. Turkey's state run Anadolu Agency reported that over 40 bodies were found on the beaches.
Misrati did not give any further details about the nationality of the deceased, but the Tripoli authorities' official news agency reported that they were from Africa.
The Red Crescent was expecting to recover several more bodies this Sunday, the press agency quoted Misrati as saying.
The North African country, with its 1,770 kilometers of poorly patrolled coastline, is a popular jumping off point for migrants seeking to reach Europe.
The most popular destination is the Italian island of Lampedusa, barely 300 kilometers away.
