Dozens of people are feared dead after a boat carrying more than 100 people sank on Wednesday off the coast of Tunisia. The International Organisation for Migration (OIM) says there is an increase in the number of people crossing the Mediterranean to get to Europe.
The OIM said one body had been recovered, 30 people were rescued and 75 were unaccounted for as the Tunisian navy conducted a search and rescue operation for people who had been on a boat that left Libya, headed for Europe, and sank in the waters off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia.
The number of missing could rise, as details emerge about how many people were aboard.
The inflatable boat was carrying around 100 people of “various African and Asian nationalities” when it was put to sea, said National Guard spokesman Houcem Eddine.
The Sfax National Guard said the boat, which left Zuwara, Libya, on Saturday night, ran aground 10 kilometres from the Tunisian island of Kerkennah, although it was unclear exactly when.
Another boat, another rescue
In a separate operation, the NGO Open Arms said it conducted a rescue operation of over 100 people late Tuesday in an area off the coast of Tunisia.
“A wooden boat with over 100 people was left adrift very close to the Tunisian territorial waters,” said the head of the mission, Gerard Canals.
“During the rescue operation, the wooden boat capsized but we managed to take these 110 people on board on different life rafts that we deployed during the night.”
The Open Arms rescue ship is looking for a safe port to disembark.
Very hard work tonight to recover the castaways from a drifting boat with more than 100 people, using 3 #Astral life rafts. We do not know if any life has been lost and no news from Tunisia, Malta and Italy.
— Oscar Camps (@campsoscar) May 25, 2022
Where is Europe? Why did the authorities not respond to Mayday? pic.twitter.com/Zkr6Qs4jfz
More than 3,000 migrants died crossing the Mediterranean on the way to Europe in 2021, according to the UN, and more than 500 have either died or gone missing so far this year.
The IOM says there is an increase in the frequency of attempted crossings from Tunisia and Libya, with 6,340 migrants intercepted and returned to Libya.
Last year, 15,671 migrants attempted to reach Italy from Tunisia, up from fewer than 13,000 in 2020, according to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights.
(with wires)
