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Boat with dozens of migrants capsizes off Tunisia coast More than 80 feared dead as migrant boat capsizes off Tunisia
(about 2 hours later)
Dozens of African migrants capsized off the coast of Tunisia after setting off for Europe from Libya, a government source and the Tunisian Red Crescent have said. More than 80 people trying to reach Europe from Libya are feared dead after their boat capsized off the coast of Tunisia, according to the UN migration agency.
Some of the four initial survivors told the Tunisian coast guard on Thursday the boat had sunk off the town of Zarzis the day before, the Red Crescent official Mongi Slim said. One of the four died later in hospital. The boat sank on Wednesday off the Tunisian city of Zarzis and 82 of the migrants who had been onboard were missing, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. Fishermen pulled four men from the sinking boat, Lorena Lando, the agency’s head in Tunisia, said. One of the four died later in hospital
A government source said the survivors, who were rescued nine miles (14.5km) off the town of Zarzis, had informed coastguards they had set out from Libya, and that dozens had drowned.A government source said the survivors, who were rescued nine miles (14.5km) off the town of Zarzis, had informed coastguards they had set out from Libya, and that dozens had drowned.
Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the IOM, tweeted: “More updates are needed in order to confirm what happened and the actual number of missing.”
At least 65 migrants heading for Europe from Libya drowned last May when their boat capsized off Tunisia.At least 65 migrants heading for Europe from Libya drowned last May when their boat capsized off Tunisia.
Libya’s west coast is a main departure point for African migrants hoping to reach Europe with the help of human traffickers, though numbers have dropped because of an Italian-led effort to disrupt smuggling networks and support the Libyan coast guard. Although the fighting in Libya has made the situation more difficult for people-trafficking rackets, international aid officials have warned it could also prompt Libyans to flee their country. Libya’s western coast is a main departure point for African migrants hoping to reach Europe with the help of human traffickers, though numbers have dropped because of an Italian-led effort to disrupt smuggling networks and support the Libyan coastguard.
Although fighting in Libya has made the situation more difficult for those involved in people-trafficking rackets, international aid officials have warned it could also prompt Libyans to flee their country.
On Wednesday, an airstrike on a Libyan migrant detention centre killed at least 53 people. It was reported that guards shot at detainees trying to flee the attack. The UN and aid groups blamed the airstrike deaths in part on the EU’s policy of partnering with Libyan militias to prevent migrants from trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
MigrationMigration
TunisiaTunisia
LibyaLibya
EuropeEurope
AfricaAfrica
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
Refugees
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