13 migrants found dead off Tunisia: official

Tunis: Thirteen bodies believed to be of sub Saharan African migrants have been found dead off Tunisia s eastern coast, a judicial official told AFP o...

Tunis: Thirteen bodies believed to be of sub-Saharan African migrants have been found dead off Tunisia's eastern coast, a judicial official told AFP on Wednesday.

The bodies were found Tuesday and Wednesday off the coastal towns of Salakta and Chebba, said Farid Ben Jha, the spokesman for the public prosecution in the Monastir and Mahdia governorates.

He added that an investigation has been opened but provided no further details.

Tunisia and neighbouring Libya have become key departure points for migrants, often from other countries, who risk perilous Mediterranean Sea journeys in the hopes of reaching better lives in Europe.

Each year, tens of thousands of people attempt to make the crossing, with Italy -- whose Lampedusa island is only 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Tunisia -- often their first port of call.