Tunisia: 27 dead, 83 rescued in shipwreck

The new year started in the worst possible manner in Tunisia with the shipwreck of two boats off the Kerkennah islands. Twenty-seven migrants of various nationalities lost their lives, while 83 others were rescued by coast guard and civil protection teams. According to Tunisian authorities, all the migrants were of sub-Saharan origin, including women and children.

A total of 110 people were aboard the two vessels. One boat capsized, and the other sank three nautical miles from Kerkennah, said Zied Sdiri, regional director of civil protection in Sfax.

Among the 27 bodies recovered was a newborn baby, according to a statement by the National Guard, which also reported that the survivors included 17 women and seven minors. Search operations are ongoing.

Fifteen of the rescued migrants were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Series of shipwrecks

This tragedy follows a series of deadly incidents in December 2024.

On December 31, a shipwreck off Tunisia's northern coast claimed the lives of two Tunisian migrants, including a child, while 17 others were rescued. Earlier in the month, at least 20 sub-Saharan migrants died in a shipwreck off Sfax on December 18, with five others reported missing.

On December 12, coast guards rescued 27 migrants but found 15 others dead or missing near Jebeniana, north of Sfax.

Similar incidents have occurred throughout the year. At the end of October, 15 unidentified bodies were retrieved off Mahdia, a key departure point alongside Sfax. In September, 36 migrants—20 Tunisians and 16 Egyptians -- were rescued from a drifting boat near Nabeul.

In 2024 between 600 and 700 dead and missing off Tunisia - Ftdes

Tunisia, along with Libya, remains a primary departure point for migrants attempting the perilous journey to Europe, with some areas just 150 kilometers from the Italian island of Lampedusa.