TUNIS: The Tunisian coastguard on Thursday found nine migrants dead aboard a vessel adrift in the Mediterranean near the southern port of Zarzis, Tunisian authorities reported.
The boat, carrying over 50 passengers of different nationalities, had suffered damage resulting from water ingress, according to a statement from the National Guard.
Reports from Tunisian media indicated that the vessel had departed from neighboring Libya, bound for Europe.
A spokesperson for the provincial prosecutor’s office, Lassad Horr, confirmed that an investigation into the deaths had been initiated. Horr suggested that the fatalities were likely due to the passengers being overwhelmed by fuel fumes within the vessel.
The deceased passengers, all men, hailed from countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Pakistan, and Syria, Horr added.
Tunisia and Libya serve as major departure points in North Africa for thousands of irregular migrants who embark on perilous journeys across the Mediterranean each year, seeking better prospects in Europe.
According to the International Organization for Migration, the perilous central Mediterranean route claimed the lives of 2,498 individuals or left them missing in 2023, marking a significant 75 percent increase compared to 2022.
