Tunisia boat tragedy claims nine lives, six still unaccounted for

The vessel had been carrying at least 42 passengers as the search for the missing individuals was ongoing

Tunisia’s coastguard has recovered the bodies of nine people, and six others remain missing after a boat sank off the country's coast, a judicial official confirmed on Thursday.

According to Judge Farid Ben Jha, a search is ongoing for the missing individuals, who were aboard the boat when it sank off Chebba due to bad weather.

The vessel had been carrying at least 42 passengers, most of whom were refugees from sub-Saharan African nations.

The coastguard rescued 27 people, but tragically, the disaster highlights the perilous journey many refugees take, hoping to reach Europe.

The Mediterranean has become a key route for refugees fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa, with Tunisia and Libya serving as primary departure points.

This incident adds to a grim pattern of boat tragedies in the region. In October, 16 bodies were recovered, and in September, 15 Tunisian nationals, including three infants, died when their boat sank off Djerba.

According to the United Nations, 1,536 people have either died or gone missing in the central Mediterranean this year alone.

Italy, just 150km from Tunisia, often receives the bulk of arrivals, with 64,234 refugees making the crossing this year.

The International Organization for Migration has reported over 30,000 refugee deaths in the Mediterranean over the past decade, with 3,000 of those fatalities occurring in 2023.

The tragedy underscores the ongoing migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, with many refugees taking desperate and dangerous journeys in search of better opportunities in Europe