Tunisian authorities reported the deaths of 20 migrants after a boat sank off the country’s coast on Wednesday. Five survivors were rescued.
The incident occurred 13 miles from the city of Sfax. The boat departed from Chebba on Tuesday evening but soon ran into trouble. According to AFP, the rescued migrants were from sub-Saharan African countries.
Search operations to locate those still missing are ongoing, Reuters reported.
Tunisia has become the main departure point for migrants heading to Europe, overtaking Libya. Boats most often depart from the port of Sfax, located near the Italian island of Lampedusa.
According to UN data, approximately 140,000 people attempted to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia in 2023, marking a 138% increase from 2022. Hundreds of migrants have died in boat accidents.
This is the second such incident within a week. Last week, another boat sank off the Tunisian coast, resulting in nine deaths, with six migrants still reported missing.
