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.