2 migrants dead, one missing after boat capsizes off Tunisian coast

Two migrants died, one remains missing, and 28 were rescued after a boat capsized off Tunisia’s eastern coast, AFP reported citing local media reports Friday. The vessel, carrying mostly Tunisians, had departed from Teboulba, a coastal town 180 km south of Tunis.

Tunisia and Libya are key departure points for migrants, often from Africa, attempting dangerous Mediterranean crossings to Europe. Italy’s Lampedusa island, 150 km away, is a common destination.

This year, at least 103 boats capsized and 341 bodies recovered  off Tunisia’s coast, , according to the interior ministry. Last year, over 1,300 migrants died or went missing in similar incidents, according to the Tunisian rights group FTDES.

The International Organization for Migration has said more than 30,000 migrants have died in the Mediterranean in the past decade, including more than 3,000 last year.