Tunisia Navy recovers bodies of 10 dead migrants, saves 76 others in Mediterranean

Tunisian naval forces rescue migrants from the Mediterranean after the boats transporting them broke down while trying to reach Europe, in Tunisia on June 27, 2021 [Tasnim Nasri/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]

The Tunisian coastguards announced the recovery of 10 bodies of irregular migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, and the rescue of 76 others off the coast of Tunisia, Anadolu News Agency reported.

“Seventy-two migrants were rescued and 10 bodies recovered after Tuesday’s shipwreck off the city of Sfax,” coastguard spokesman, Houssem Jebabli, said on Wednesday.

Jebabli said that the African migrants died after their boat capsized. Of the 76 rescued migrants, 4 were Tunisians, he added.

Jebabli said the Public Prosecution has ordered to take the necessary legal measures against the migrants.

Tunisia has recently emerged as a major gateway for migrants wishing to cross to Europe.

In a related context, the Italian government declared, on Tuesday, a state of emergency throughout the country for a period of 6 months, to confront irregular migration.

READ: IOM says first quarter of 2023 deadliest for migrants crossing Mediterranean

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