GENEVA - The International Organization for Migration IOM (IOM) on Tuesday said in a year-end summary that 3, 771 deaths was reported for migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe in 2015, marking it the deadliest year on record.

By comparison, 3,279 deaths were recorded in the Mediterranean in 2014. Globally, IOM estimated that over 5,350 migrants died in 2015.

IOM recorded total sea arrivals to Europe in 2015 at 1,004,356 or almost five times the previous year's total of 219,000.

The deadliest month in 2015 was April when nearly 1,250 migrants died, mainly due to the worst tragedy on record involving migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa, in which an estimated 800 migrants died when their overcrowded vessel capsized off the coast of Libya. Only 28 survivors were rescued and brought to Italy.

IOM said 77 percent of the deaths occurred in the Central Mediterranean route mostly used by smugglers operating from Libyan shores. Meanwhile, 21 percent of deaths occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Globally, the majority of the estimated 5,350 deaths were recorded in the Mediterranean, the most deadly region, followed by southeast Asia (mostly in the Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, Malaysia and Thailand) which saw at least 800 deaths last year. Within Mexico and along the U.S.-Mexico border there have been at least 330 deaths recorded this year.(Xinhua)