Fifteen unidentified bodies have been found off Tunisia’s eastern coast, according to a judicial official. Authorities have not yet confirmed if they are migrants.
Samples have been taken to identify the bodies “due to the extent of decomposition”, said Farid Ben Jha, spokesman for the Monastir and Mahdia governorates’ public prosecution.
He mentioned that the bodies were discovered over the weekend in three different locations in Mahdia, a region in Tunisia known for irregular migration.
Tunisia and its neighbouring country Libya have turned into crucial launch sites for migrants from other African nations, who embark on dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea in search of greener pastures in Europe.
Thousands of people try to make the crossing each year. Italy, with Lampedusa island located just 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Tunisia, frequently serves as their initial destination.
In late September, a tragic incident occurred when 12 Tunisians, including three children, were found dead after their vessel capsized off the southeastern island of Djerba, while 29 were rescued.
Since the beginning of the year, at least 103 makeshift vessels have capsized, and 341 bodies have been retrieved from Tunisia’s waters, according to the interior ministry.
Over the past year, more than 1,300 individuals lost their lives or went missing in shipwrecks near the North African nation, as reported by the Tunisian FTDES rights group. The International Organisation for Migration has reported that over 30,309 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean over the last decade, including more than 3,000 last year.