A 20-year-old man and an infant were found dead Saturday morning after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Tunisia, near the southeastern port of Gabès.
The National Guard said in a statement, that the boat, which was carrying 20 Tunisian migrants capsized just 120 meters from the coasts of Gabès. Thirteen individuals were rescued, and search efforts are ongoing to locate the missing five.
The Gabès port, about 140 kilometres from Sfax, is a point of departure for many Africans trying to cross the Mediterranean toward Europe.
In a similar incident, 41 migrants were believed to have drowned after setting off from Sfax, the Italian Red Cross and rescue groups said. Four survivors were rescued.
This tragedy highlights the current migration crisis in the region, with many taking risky journeys in the hope of reaching European in search of greener pastures.
