Over 50 migrants die as their boat sinks off the coast of Tunisia

A boat heading for Italy sank last month near the Tunisian city of Sfax, killing no fewer than 54 persons.

Tunisian search teams recovered the bodies of 13 men and women a few days after the incident, according to the Tunisian Defence Ministry. Earlier that week, the bodies of two toddlers and 20 adults had washed up on the shore of the Kerkennah Islands, and 19 other bodies were found in nearby waters.

The boat was trying to smuggle African migrants to Europe via Tunisia. Tunisia’s coast has become a transit point for thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe. 

TMP_ 11/07/2020

Photo credit: Shutterstock/Juanamari Gonzalez

Photo caption: Small boat used for illegal immigration, found on the beaches of Tarifa Cadiz