Tunis: Tunisian coast guards have retrieved bodies of 10 illegal immigrants after two boats capsized off the country’s coasts.
“The two boats respectively capsized off the coast of Sfax province in southeastern Tunisia and in the north of the country,” National Guard’ spokesman Houcemeddine Jbabli said in a statement late Wednesday.
A total of 76 illegal immigrants, comprising four Tunisians and 72 sub-Saharan African nationalities, were rescued during the operations, reports Xinhua news agency.
Jbabli emphasized that those immigrants were trying to cross the Mediterranean toward the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Lampedusa, the first stop usually chosen by illegal immigrants for their sea voyage toward Italy, is about 80 km away from the Tunisian coast.
–IANS