At least five people have died and seven others are missing after their Europe-bound boat sank off Tunisia’s coast, according to a judicial official in the port city of Sfax.
Court spokesman Faouzi Masmoudi on Monday said that “35 people, most of them Tunisians” – including women and children – were on board the boat that went down “shortly after departing from the coast of Sidi Mansour” near Sfax.
The deaths include at least one child and two women, Masmoudi said, adding that “23 people have been rescued”. The boat sank “less than an hour after departure”, according to the spokesman.
Tunisia lies on a major route for refugees and migrants travelling to Europe. The number of people departing from Tunisia and trying to reach Europe has significantly increased in recent months.
Link from www.aljazeera.com