43 Migrants Drown In Shipwreck Off Tunisia

The boat was carrying migrants from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh.

At least 43 migrants drowned in a shipwreck off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy, while another 84 were rescued, the Tunisian Red Crescent told Reuters on Saturday. The boat had set off from Zuwara, on Libya's northwest coast, carrying migrants from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh, the humanitarian organisation said. In recent months, several drowning incidents have occurred off the Tunisian coast, with an increase in the frequency of attempted crossings to Europe from Tunisia and Libya towards Italy as the weather has improved. "The navy rescued 84 migrants and 43 others drowned in a boat that set off from Libya's Zuwara towards Europe," Red Crescent official Mongi Slim said.