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Migrant boat capsize off Tunisia leaves 21 dead

Reuters
05 Jul 2021 18:58:46 | Update: 05 Jul 2021 19:09:51

Migrants on a wooden boat are rescued by a patrol vessel of the Tunisia Navy, seen from the migrant search and rescue vessel MV Seefuchs of the German NGO Sea-Eye in the search and rescue zone south of the Al Jurf Oilfield in international waters off the coast of Libya, September 30, 2017. — Reuters Photo

At least 21 migrants died after the boat carrying them sank off the coast of Tunisia, a security official said, the second such disaster in two days in the region.

The coastguard recovered the bodies on Sunday off the port of Sfax, Colonel Houssem Jbebli from the National Guard said.

On Saturday, at least 43 migrants drowned and another 84 were rescued after a shipwreck off Tunisia's coastal community of Zarzis. Authorities said the migrants were trying to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy.

"As part of Tunisia's efforts to monitor borders, the coastguard managed to thwart 10 immigration operations in recent days and rescued 158 migrants," Jbebli added.