At least eight persons have been confirmed dead, with another 29 rescued after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Tunisia on its way to Europe.
According to the Tunisian Coast Guard, the boat sank. off the country’s coast in waters off the city of Abwabed near Sfax, a departure point often used by African migrants as it sailed towards Europe.
Houssem Eddine Jebabli, an official in the national guard who spoke to Reuters, further revealed search operations were underway for possible missing persons.
In the last few years, Tunisia has emerged as an alternative of sort to the Libyan route into Europe via the desert. This penchant for the Tunisian route id due to its proximity to the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia.