New Delhi (NVI): At least 20 migrants and refugees died when their boat capsized off Tunisia’s coast as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The Tunisian coastguard rescued five people and the search operation is still underway, according to media reports.
The boat which had about 45 people was overloaded and in poor condition. The boat sank about 10km from the coast of Sfax, reports added.
The coastline near the Tunisian port city of Sfax has become a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and searching for a better life in Europe.
More than 620 people are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean this year during the dangerous sea journey that has killed at least 20,000 since 2014, according to data gathered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
-CHK
