The search for other bodies is still continuing
At least 21 dead as migrant boat sinks off Tunisia
Migrants from Africa die when their boat sinks off Tunisia as they try to cross Mediterranean to Italian island of Lampedusa.
Friday 16/04/2021
The search for other bodies is still continuing
TUNIS - At least 21 migrants from Africa died when their boat sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a Tunisian official said on Friday.
"The boat sank during a trip that started late on Thursday from (the town of) Sfax... So far, the coastguard has recovered 21 bodies and the search is still continuing," Mouard Mechri, director of Tunisia's civil protection service, said.
Last month 39 migrants died off the coast of Sfax, a Tunisian port city, in a similar accident.
The coastline near Sfax has become a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and seeking a better life in Europe.