Death toll hits 68 since migrant boat sinking off Tunisia

The Red Crescent said 38 more bodies were recovered Thursday from the sea off Tunisia, raising to 68 the number found since an Italy-bound boat filled with migrants sank last week.

Malian migrant Soleiman Coulibaly was rescued after the boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Tunisian Coast.

Malian migrant Soleiman Coulibaly was rescued after the boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Tunisian Coast. Source: AFP

Thirty-six of the apparent victims were found close to Zarzis in southeast Tunisia and two off the nearby island of Djerba, the Tunisian Red Crescent's Mongi Slim told AFP.

A Malian survivor, one of only three to have escaped with their lives, has told the UN's International Organization for Migration that 86 people had been on board the dinghy which capsized on July 1.

The boat, filled with mostly African migrants, tipped over shortly after setting out from the Libyan town of Zuwara, west of Tripoli, with the aim of reaching Italy.

Libya has in recent years been a major departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe in perilous journeys across the Mediterranean.


Share
1 min read

Published

Source: AFP, SBS


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world