34 missing after migrant boat sinks off Tunisia

TUNIS (AA) - Thirty-four migrants went missing Friday after a boat sank off the coast of Tunisia, according to a source.

“The migrant boat that sank today is the 5th that sank in the last 48 hours, 4 people were rescued by the security forces of the Navy while search and rescue efforts continue to find the other 34 migrants,” Faouzi Masmoudi, a judicial officer of the Sfax Court, told reporters.

Houssam al-Din Jebali, a spokesman for the Tunisian National Guard, announced in a statement that “the bodies of 7 irregular migrants, including one baby, were found, Thursday.”

A total of 3,114 irregular migrants were detained, he added.

Maghreb countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco have for years, witnessed attempts by migrants --mainly from sub-Saharan Africa -- to reach Europe, hoping for a better life. While some migrants manage to reach their destination, others often die during the journey.

*Ikram Kouachi contributed to this report.