A serious tragedy has been recorded off the coast of Tunisia, where a boat carrying migrants bound for Italy has sunk. The Tunisian coast guard has recovered the bodies of 11 people from the sea, while three others are still missing.
According to data published by Reuters, the boat had set off early on Thursday with 15 people on board, most of them young, with the aim of reaching the Italian coast. However, the journey ended in tragedy when the vessel sank off the Tunisian coast.
Only one of the passengers managed to survive. He was found by a merchant ship after being alone at sea for about 48 hours, without help.
According to the survivor’s testimony, he had been fighting to stay alive for nearly two days, until he was spotted by the merchant ship’s crew and rescued.
Meanwhile, search and rescue operations continue to find three people who are still missing. Coast Guard, Army and Civil Defense forces are engaged in the operation, with the support of two helicopters.
Among the victims and missing persons are members of the same family, making the tragedy even more serious. According to the head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, seven of the 15 people on the boat belonged to the same family.
There was also a couple on board, and the woman was pregnant.
All the migrants were from the Ben Guerdan area, in southeastern Tunisia, near the border with Libya.
Authorities continue the search at sea for the three missing people, while investigations are expected to reveal the exact circumstances of the boat’s sinking.