Tragedy strikes dozens of migrants in the Mediterranean

Milton Nyakundi
May 10, 2019 ·1 min read ·111 views
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Dozens of migrants are thought to have died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean off the coast of Tunisia.

At least 50 people died in the incident, with 16 survivors, the UN’s International Organization for Migration says.

But Tunisian state media report that 70 migrants drowned about 74km (46 miles) off Sfax, south of the capital Tunis.

Tunisian officials reportedly believe the ship set off from Zuwara in Libya.

Only three bodies have reportedly been recovered from the scene so far, and the navy is searching for others.

A statement from the Tunisian defence ministry reportedly said the navy had despatched a ship as soon as it heard about the incident and came across a fishing boat picking up survivors. All 16 have now been moved to the navy ship.

The passengers are understood to have been from sub-Saharan Africa.

Thousands of migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Europe every year.

But they often travel in poorly maintained and overcrowded ships, and many have died on the journey.

In January, a UN report said six migrants died crossing the Mediterranean sea every day.

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About the Author

Milton Nyakundi

Milton Nyakundi Oriku is a veteran multimedia journalist with over 20 years’ experience across broadcast, digital, and print media. He is the founder and Managing Editor of Kurunzi News and serves as its Senior International Correspondent based in the United States. He previously worked at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), rising to Assistant News Editor, and later served as Copy Editor at Mediamax Network. His career includes freelance commentary for major outlets such as KTN, and consultancy roles with Football Kenya Federation, StarTimes Kenya, and UAP‑Old Mutual. He is known for incisive political and sports reporting and evidence‑driven journalism.

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