A Shipwreck off the Coast of Tunisia Claims the Lives of 20 Migrants

Near a well-known departure location for migrants trying to reach Europe by boat, Tunisian authorities uncovered the bodies of 20 persons who seemed to have drowned following a shipwreck off the country’s Mediterranean coastline.

Coast Guard personnel sent to the sinking ship rescued five individuals and recovered the dead of twenty others 15 miles (24 kilometers) off the coast north of Sfax, the nation’s National Guard said in a statement on Wednesday. The Italian island of Lampedusa is around 81 miles (130 kilometers) away from the coastline. The National Guard did not specify how many people might have been on board when the ship sailed, but it stated that it was still looking for missing persons.

To stop deaths at sea and stop traffickers and refugees from unlawfully entering southern Europe, Tunisia’s authorities have stepped up border patrols with European help. However, there are frequent reports of drownings and bodies washing up on the shore. Last week, for example, officials discovered the bodies of nine persons who seemed to have drowned at sea along the same section of shoreline.

Many times, the iron boats used by traffickers and migrants to try to cross the Mediterranean are not seaworthy. International organizations and Tunisian NGOs estimate hundreds have died at sea this year, despite the lack of an official figure.

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