At least 20 die as migrant boat sinks off Tunisia
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Gulf Today Report
The coastguard on Thursday retrieved the bodies of 20 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa when their boat sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
A Tunisian security official said that the coastguard rescued five people and was searching for about 20 others who were still unaccounted for.
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The coastline near the Tunisian port city of Sfax has become a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and searching for a better life in Europe.
"The boat sank about six miles from the coast of Sfax. Twenty bodies were recovered, five others were rescued, and all are from sub-Saharan Africa," the security official, Ali Ayari, said.
Around 45 people were on the boat when it sank, he added.
