Coastguard rescues 5 individuals, as Tunisian official says 45 individuals have been on the boat when it capsized.
At the very least 20 migrants and refugees died when their boat capsized off Tunisia’s coast as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian island of Lampedusa, Tunisian authorities mentioned.
The Tunisian coastguard rescued 5 individuals and the seek for extra was persevering with, Nationwide Guard spokesman Ali Ayari informed Reuters information company on Thursday, including that the boat was overloaded and in poor situation.
Defence ministry spokesman Mohamed Ben Zekri informed The Related Press that coastguard boats and native fishermen discovered the our bodies off the coastal metropolis of Sfax in central Tunisia.
About 45 individuals have been on the boat when it sank, mentioned Ayari.
“The boat sank about six miles (9.6km) from the coast of Sfax. Twenty our bodies have been recovered, 5 others have been rescued, and all are from sub-Saharan Africa,” Ayari added.
The shoreline close to the Tunisian port metropolis of Sfax has change into a significant departure level for individuals fleeing battle and poverty in Africa and the Center East and trying to find a greater life in Europe.
Greater than 620 individuals are feared to have drowned within the Mediterranean this yr throughout the harmful sea journey that has killed at the least 20,000 since 2014, in response to knowledge gathered by the Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM).
The United Nations calls it the deadliest migration route on the earth.
About 17,000 individuals arrived in Italy and Malta this yr by boat from Libya and Tunisia.