“We can now confirm that at least 3,800 people have died, making 2016 the deadliest ever,” UNHCR spokesman William Spindler wrote on Twitter.

According to UN Radio, 3,771 lives were lost during the whole of 2015, the previous record number.

Many of the migrants concerned have sought to travel from Libya, on the North African coast, to Italian shores, the United Nations said.

Libya is a popular jumping-off point for migrants seeking to reach Europe from North Africa via what is known as the Central Mediterranean route. Smuggling networks are well established there, and the lack of an effective central government makes the job of traffickers easier.

But the crossing can be treacherous, with too many migrants — some fleeing war or persecution, others seeking a better life — crammed into what are often barely seaworthy boats.

The UN refugee agency considers the route “extremely dangerous due to the open sea, strong currents and grim weather,” UN Radio said.

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