At least 20 migrants die after boat sinks off Tunisian coast, marking second tragedy in a week
By Billy Stockwell, CNN
(CNN) — At least 20 migrants have died after their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia, the country’s state news agency TAP reported Wednesday, the second such tragedy in a week.
The vessel got into trouble approximately 13 miles off the coast of Sfax, a major port city on the country’s east coast and a key transit hub for migrants wanting to reach Europe, particularly those from sub-Saharan Africa.
The boat set off from Chebba in Tunisia’s Mahdia governorate on Tuesday evening at 11 p.m. local time, TAP reported, citing the country’s national guard.
Five survivors from the same boat were rescued, according to the national guard.
The incident follows another deadly shipwreck in the same region last Thursday when a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank, killing at least nine people, Reuters reported at the time.
Six others are still missing after the boat sank last week, Reuters added.
Tunisia has taken over from Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe.
Last year, around 140,000 migrants and refugees are known to have attempted to cross the sea from Tunisia to Europe, a 138% increase compared to 2022, according to UN data.
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