At least 19 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa died when their boat sank off Tunisia while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, a human rights group said.
In the past four days, five migrant boats sank near the southern city of Sfax, leaving 67 people missing and nine dead.
The Tunisian coast guard rescued five people from a boat near the coast of Mahdia after they set off on their trip from the beaches of Sfax, Romadan ben Omar, an official at the Forum for Social and Economic Rights (FTDES), told Reuters.
Tunisia's coast guard said it had stopped about 80 boats bound for Italy in the past four days and detained more than 3.000 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan African countries.
The coast near Sfax has become a major departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe.
According to the United Nations, at least 12.000 migrants who reached Italy this year sailed from Tunisia, compared with 1.300 in the same period in 2022. Libya used to be the main departure point for migrants.
According to FTDES statistics, the Tunisian coast guard prevented more than 14.000 migrants from setting sail in boats during the first three months of this year, compared to 2.900 in the same period last year.
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