TUNIS: Two Tunisian migrants, one of them a five-year-old child, died after their makeshift boat broke down off the country’s northern coast, with 17 others rescued, the National Guard has said.

One body was found aboard the vessel, while the dead child was recovered from the water, the National Guard said in a statement on Monday.

It said maritime units had responded to a distress call on Sunday “about a damaged vessel out at sea that began taking on water”, rescuing 17 out of 19 passengers.

“Five were rescued while fighting for their lives after they jumped off the boat,” it added. Four people linked to organising the crossing attempt were arrested, the statement said.

Tunisia is a key departure point for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe. Each year, tens of thousands of people attempt the perilous Mediterranean crossing.

Italy, whose Lampedusa island is only 150 kilometres from Tunisia, is often their first port of call. The crossing has seen a spate of recent shipwrecks, exacerbated by bad weather. On Dec 18, at least 20 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa died in a shipwreck off the city of Sfax, with five others missing.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2025