At least 27 people killed, dozens rescued after two shipwrecks off Tunisia
Al Jazeera
All the victims and those rescued were from sub-Saharan African countries, says director of civil protection in Sfax.
At least 27 people including women and children have died and 83 others were rescued after two boats capsized off Tunisia, the country’s National Guard has said.
The boats sank in waters off the city of Sfax, a departure point often used by irregular migrants and refugees seeking to travel to Europe.
The two makeshift boats set sail “on the night of December 31 to January 1,” a Tunisian National Guard official told AFP on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
The National Guard, which oversees the Tunisian Coast Guard, said that a baby was among the dead.
All the victims and those rescued were from sub-Saharan African countries, Ziad al-Sidiri, director of civil protection in Sfax, said in a press release on Thursday.
