Two people have been confirmed dead and 34 others were rescued after a migrant boat sank off Tunisia while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
The Tunisian National Guard confirmed the incident on Friday, March 15, 2024, saying the migrants were rescued in the southern town of Zarzis.
The national guard also disclosed that 34 others were missing after the migrants revealed that the boat sailed from Libya’s coast was carrying 70 people.
“The floating units of the National Guard in Zarzis (southeastern Tunisia) were able to intercept a crossing attempt of the maritime border, rescuing 34 passengers of different nationalities and recovering two bodies,” the National Guard said in a statement.
The National Guard said it was still searching for the missing passengers.
Earlier in the week, the Tunisian Coast Guard also recovered five bodies of migrants.
Tunisia and Libya are the main North African departure points for thousands of irregular migrants, who risk their lives every year in the hopes of having better lives in Europe.
The International Organization for Migration said 2,498 people died or went missing while trying to cross the central Mediterranean last year—a 75 percent increase from 2022.
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