African Migrant Shipwreck off Tunisia Leaves at Least 20 Dead
24 Dec 2020
ROME — At least 20 African migrants drowned Thursday when a dinghy carrying about 45 people sank off the coast of Tunisia.
The small boat was attempting to cross the Strait of Sicily on Christmas Eve day to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa, a common point of arrival for African migrants attempting to enter Europe, according to Mohamed Zekri, spokesman for the Tunisian Defense Ministry.
The Tunisian Coast Guard rescued five people who are in serious condition and was still searching for about 20 more who were still unaccounted for. A Coast Guard spokesman in Sfax, Ali al-Ayari, confirmed the migrants were all from sub-Saharan Africa.