​​​​​​​SFAX CITY, Tunisia

Seventy-five migrants were missing on Wednesday after a boat sank off Tunisia, a Tunisian security source told Anadolu Agency.

“A boat crowded with nearly 100 migrants headed to Europe sank off the coast of the southern city of Sfax,” the source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

He said the coast guard had recovered the body of one migrant, while 24 others had been rescued.

According to preliminary information, the boat had sailed from Zuwara, Libya Sunday night with nearly 100 people on board.

The cause of the incident remains unclear.

In 2021, Tunisian authorities arrested 20,616 illegal migrants, including 10,371 from sub-Saharan countries, according to official statements.

For years, Maghreb countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco have witnessed attempts by migrants – mainly from sub-Saharan Africa – to reach Europe, hoping for a better life. While some of the migrants manage to reach their destination, others often die during the journey.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara