Italian officials have reported that at least 28 migrants died after their boats sank off the coast of Tunisia while attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Italy.
In one incident, at least 20 migrants lost their lives, with over 60 people still missing.
The Italian coast guard has stated that they coordinated the rescue of 3,300 people from 58 boats in distress over the last 48 hours, according to a statement released on Sunday.
Most of the rescues were carried out on boats heading from Tunisia to Lampedusa, the closest Italian island to Africa.
Tunisia has become the main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East, replacing Libya, with the hope of a better life in Europe.
This latest tragedy occurred during a campaign of arrests by Tunisian authorities of undocumented sub-Saharan Africans.
On Saturday, a Tunisian fishing boat rescued 19 women and 9 others.
2023-03-26 11:58:22
Article from www.cnn.com