At least 40 migrants, including infants, have died after a boat carrying people attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of Tunisia on Wednesday.
According to Mahdia court spokesman Walid Charbi, Tunisian naval units rescued about 30 survivors from the vessel, which went down near the Mediterranean port city of Mahdia in central Tunisia.
Charbi said all the victims were from sub-Saharan Africa but gave no further details. The prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation to uncover the causes and circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Mahdia is Tunisia’s second-largest departure point for boats carrying migrants from Tunisia and other parts of Africa and Asia seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
Tunisian authorities have in recent months intensified operations to stop such perilous crossings, which frequently end in disaster.
