Tunisia: 11 dead after capsizing of a boat carrying 15 irregular migrants

Tunis, Aug 23 (KUNA) -- The Tunisian National Guard announced on Sunday that 11 people died after a boat carrying 15 Tunisian irregular migrants capsized off the coast of Ben Gardane in the southeast. The Tunisian News Agency quoted National Guard spokesperson Hichem Djebali as saying that search operations resulted in the recovery of three bodies on Saturday and eight on Sunday, bringing the total number of recovered bodies to 11, while efforts continued to locate the remaining missing persons. Djebali added that search and rescue operations were ongoing after a group of 15 Tunisian migrants went missing following the capsizing of their boat off the coast of Ben Gardane. According to the agency, Tunisia remains one of the main departure points for irregular migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, although the number of departures has sharply declined over the past two years amid tightened Tunisian authorities’ crackdown on migration and enhanced monitoring of maritime borders. (End) S.B.M. / M.A.H.A.