Dozens of migrants drown after boat sinks off Tunisia

The Mare Jonio ship dock at the Italian island of Lampedusa, Italy, after rescuing people in the Mediterranean Sea,
EPA
Olivia Tobin10 May 2019

Dozens of migrants have drowned after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, according to a UN migration official and Tunisia’s state news agency.

As many as 70 people are feared dead after the boat sunk, but 16 are thought to have been rescued.

An official with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Tunisia said the smuggling boat was coming from Libya when it sent a distress signal in international waters off the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax.

The official said between 60 and 70 people drowned.

State news agency TAP said 70 people drowned as the boat sank and that fishing boats rescued 16 people.

The IOM official said the migrants are now being questioned and cared for by Tunisian authorities.

She added the migrants included people from Bangladesh and Morocco, among other nationalities.

The IOM said it was the deadliest migrant boat sinking since an incident in January when 117 were reported missing and presumed dead.

It comes as overall migrant arrivals to Europe are decreasing.

So far this year, 17,000 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea, about 30% fewer than the 24,000 arriving during the same period last year, according to the IOM.

It said 443 people have reportedly died on dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossings so far this year, compared to 620 deaths for the same period in 2018.

Libya's navy said it had rescued 213 Europe-bound African and Arab migrants off the Mediterranean coast this week. It said they were handed over to Libyan police after having received humanitarian and medical aid.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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