Dozens drown as migrant boat capsizes off Tunisia

At least 65 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean off the coast of Tunisia, the UN refugee agency says. Some reports put the number on board higher so the toll could rise. Sixteen people were rescued, UNHCR said in a statement.

About 164 people have died on the route between Libya and Europe in the first four months of 2019, UNHCR figures show.

The Tunisian Navy dispatched a ship as soon as it heard about the incident and came across a fishing boat picking up survivors, a statement from the Tunisian defense ministry said.

Thousands of migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Europe every year, and Libya is a key departure point.  Those who make the journey often travel in poorly maintained and overcrowded ships, and many have died.

[BBC]

This entry was posted in Uncategorized by Grant Montgomery.