17 dead off Tunisian coast as boat wrecks en route to Italy
The number of people returned to shore following irregular crossings of the Mediterranean Sea has greatly increased this year.
At least 17 people seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea have died off the coast of Tunisia and possibly hundreds more rescued.
The migrants drowned in a shipwreck off the coast of Tunisia during a sea voyage from Libya to Italy. Coast guard vessels rescued more than 160 others, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a tweet Thursday. The International humanitarian organization more commonly known as the Red Cross added that it provided food and medical aid to the survivors.
The tragedy occurred off the coast of the southeastern Tunisian city of Zarzis on Wednesday night. There were 185 people on board, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration said on Facebook.
The ship’s passengers included citizens of Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh and Ivory Coast, according to The Associated Press. The outlet reported that the number of people rescued by the Libyan and Tunisian coast guards was more than 300.
