The Tunisian Coast Guard has recovered at least 41 bodies of migrants, thought to be mostly Syrians, who drowned trying to sail to Europe, a local official said on Saturday.
The bodies were found after a search began on Friday when a few decomposed bodies washed up on shore, suggesting the sinking of another boat carrying migrants from North Africa to Europe.
Mustapha Abdel Kebir, the mayor of Ben Guerdane, a border town with Libya, said that identity papers recovered from the corpses indicate that most were Syrian and added that the dead included women and children.
Photo: AFP
Abdel Kebir said the boat was most likely an overcrowded inflatable raft that likely sailed from Libya before sinking.
He added that fishermen reported seeing many more bodies in the sea over the past days.
Tunisian fishermen say that they regular pull migrants — both dead and alive — out of the sea and add that they are quickly being overcome by this year’s flood of Africans and Middle Easterners pursuing new lives in Europe.
The fishermen say that they have seen up to 30 boats of migrants leaving each day for Italy, each with a capacity of between 50 and 250 people, but it is difficult to get exact numbers.
Organizations such as the Red Crescent are trying to help some of the migrants picked up by the Tunisian Coast Guard.
The Italian Navy said it that has rescued more than 93,000 migrants since the start of the year.
With the breakdown in security in neighboring Libya, Tunisia has become a major jumping off point for boats carrying Syrian and sub-Saharan African refugees seeking a better life in Europe.
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