At least 21 people die after boat sinks off Tunisia

Officials say search operation ongoing after boat, that left Tunisia on Thursday, sank on the way to Lampedusa.

At least 21 people have died after their boat sank off Tunisia’s coast as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa. “The boat sank during a trip that started late on Thursday from Sfax… so far, the coastguard has recovered 21 bodies and the search is still continuing,” Mouard Mechri, director of Tunisia’s civil protection service, told Reuters news agency on Friday. The Tunisian port city has become a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and seeking a better life in Europe.