40 illegal migrants missing as boat sinks off SE Tunisia

At least 40 illegal migrants have gone missing after their boat sank off Tunisia's southeastern coast, the Tunisian National Guard said Tuesday in a statement, reported Xinhua.

The group of 40 people left the coast of Sfax late at night on Jan. 10 in an attempt to cross the Mediterranean to enter Italy illegally, according to the statement.

It noted that some of the 40 individuals' families reported losing contact with them to local authorities, without detailing the dates of the reports or the shipwreck.

The search for the missing illegal migrants is still underway, it added.

Tunisia, located in the central Mediterranean, is one of the main departure points for illegal migrants heading to Europe. Despite the strict measures taken by the Tunisian authorities, illegal immigration from the Tunisian coast has been on the rise.