By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
At least 40 migrants, including infants, have died after a boat carrying people seeking to reach Europe capsized off the coast of Tunisia.
The vessel, which departed from Libya, sank near the Mediterranean port city of Mahdia in central Tunisia. According to Mahdia court spokesman Walid Charbi, Tunisian naval units rescued around 30 survivors from the boat.
Charbi stated that those aboard were from sub-Saharan Africa and an investigation is underway to determine the cause and circumstances of the sinking.
Mahdia has become one of Tunisia’s major departure points for migrants attempting the dangerous sea crossing to Europe aboard overcrowded and unsafe vessels. Tunisian security forces have recently stepped up efforts to intercept migrant boats and to prevent illegal sea crossings.
The tragedy adds to a broader crisis. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in 2024 alone at least 2,242 migrants died on migration routes in Africa, and between 2014 and 2024 more than 24,000 people died or disappeared attempting the sea crossing to Europe.
