34 migrants declared missing after boat capsized off Tunisia's coast

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Mar 2023 23:38

The boat was reportedly heading to Italy's island of Lampedusa, the landing point for tens of thousands of migrants each year from North Africa, which is located at about 150 kilometres (90 miles) away from Tunisia's coastline.

Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sit in a makeshift boat in the Mediterranean Sea (AFP)

In this fifth shipwreck over the past two days, the fourth in the past month, 34 sub-Saharan migrants are reported missing after their boat capsized off Tunisia's coast, a Tunisian court official said on Friday.

The boat reportedly carried 38 people on board and was set off on Thursday near Sfax, court spokesman Fawzi El Masmoudi told AFP.

It was trying to get to Italy's island of Lampedusa, the landing point for tens of thousands of migrants each year from North Africa, which is located about 150 kilometers (90 miles) away from Tunisia's coastline.

Just two days ago, five sub-Saharan African migrants were reported to have drowned and another 28 went missing when a boat carrying 38 migrants capsized.

Earlier today, a charity organization that monitors migrant boats said that 40 individuals were at risk on a "boat in distress trying to escape Tunisia".

An estimated 21,000 migrants from all parts of Africa live in the North African country, which is about 0.2% of the total population of 12 million in the country.