TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — 4 individuals died after a ship carrying Europe-bound migrants on the Mediterranean Sea sank off Tunisia’s coast, the Tunisian Protection Ministry mentioned Friday.
Protection Ministry spokesman Mohamed Zekri mentioned navy divers rescued 21 individuals on Thursday night time and 7 have been nonetheless lacking. The boat was heading to Italy, Zekri mentioned.
Native media reported that a 10-year-old lady was amongst those that died.
Survivors advised authorities that the boat had left the island of Kerkennah, close to the port metropolis of Sfax, carrying 32 Tunisians.
The U.N. has estimated that 20% of about 115,000 migrants who reached Europe by sea final 12 months began the journey from Tunisia. Social unrest has gripped the North African nation has for years because the economic system worsened and unemployment reached 18%.
The central Mediterranean route, which runs from North Africa to southern Italy, is the busiest and deadliest migration path to Europe. Individuals journey from Libya and Tunisia in crowded boats and on the mercy of the smugglers they pay to get them throughout the ocean.
About 60,000 individuals arrived in Italy by sea final 12 months, and a few 1,200 died or disappeared on the journey, based on the U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Refugees.
On Wednesday, an amphibious unit of Tunisia’s navy rescued 23 individuals from a sinking boat as they left Tunisia for Italy, based on the Tunisian Protection ministry. It mentioned 13 of the passengers have been from Mali and 10 have been from the Ivory Coast.
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