The bodies of another 14 people believed to be migrants have been discovered off Tunisia's coast. A local authority said most of the victims were from sub-Saharan African countries.
The Tunisian coast guard has recovered more than a dozen bodies off the coast of Djerba, officials told the media on Wednesday.
The bodies began to appear near the coast of the island on Friday, Fethi Bakkouche, a prosecutor in Medenine, told AFP.
"The toll reached 14 bodies," Boukkouche said, adding that they were migrants mostly from sub-Saharan African countries. One of the deceased was an Egyptian national, judging by his passport.
Dozens of bodies
The discovery of the bodies brings the number of migrants known to have died off Tunisia’s coasts in recent days to as many as 43.
On Tuesday, the coast guard recovered at least 19 bodies near the port cities of Mahdia and Sfax, Tunisia’s second-largest city. AFP reported that 22 bodies had been found.
Another seven bodies were recovered off the coast of Gabes, a port city to the south of Sfax, Reuters reported.
The news agency also states that there has recently been a sharp increase in the number of people leaving the North African country.
More than 7,000 people have reached Italy from Tunisia so far this year. Many more who have attempted the journey have either died or been intercepted by Tunisian authorities and returned.
The Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy is one of the most dangerous in the world. In 2023, the IOM estimates that at least 2,498 people died on this route.
Officials in Tunisia and Europe say they are focusing on combatting migrant smuggling. On Tuesday, Tunisian authorities reportedly arrested five smugglers. They face sentences of up to 20 years if convicted.
With AFP, Reuters