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Baby among two migrants killed after boat collapses along Tunisia's coast

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Baby among two migrants killed after boat collapses along Tunisia's coast
Baby among two migrants killed after boat collapses along Tunisia's coast

A BABY is among two migrants found dead after a boat capsized off the coast of Tunisia.

The vessel, carrying 20 Tunisians, sank on Saturday just 395ft from the coast in Gabes, the Coastguard has reported.

Dozens of migrants died in another incident on Thursday after a 20ft vessel set off for Italy from Sfax in Tunisia eiqrkidrdiqquprw
Dozens of migrants died in another incident on Thursday after a 20ft vessel set off for Italy from Sfax in TunisiaCredit: Getty

Some five on board were missing while 13 others were rescued.

“Two bodies have been recovered, one of a 20-year-old man and the other of an infant,” the coastguard said in a statement.

Gabes’ authorities have begun an operation to “determine the circumstances of this tragedy,” they said.

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The tragic incident occurred during a spike in migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe.

Tunisia is a popular landing point for those making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea.

It comes after dozens of migrants died after their ship sank just hours into their journey to Italy on Thursday.

The 20ft boat had set off from Sfax in Tunisia with 45 people onboard, including three children.

But it ran into trouble only six hours after departing when a huge wave slammed into the doomed vessel.

Only 15 migrants were wearing life jackets.

Four survivors - a 13-year-old boy, two men and a woman - floated on inner tubes and lifejackets before finding another empty boat.

Stranded at sea, they spent several days drifting in the water before they were finally rescued, according to German rescue charity Sea-Watch.

Over 1,800 people have died during the deadly crossing from North Africa to Europe so far this year.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said those onboard would have had little chance of survival.

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A spokesman for the United Nations agency said: "Sub-Saharan migrants [leaving from Tunisia] are forced to use these low-cost iron boats which break after 20 or 30 hours of navigation.

"With this kind of sea, these boats capsize easily."

Taryn Pedler

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