Two bodies recovered, 12 still missing from migrant boat capsizing off coast of southern Tunisia

A migrant boat capsized off the coast of southern Tunisia, leaving at least two people dead and 12 others missing, the country’s National Guard said Saturday. One survivor was rescued.

National Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli told Tunisia’s state news agency TAP that authorities recovered two bodies and took them to a hospital on the nearby island of Djerba. He told national radio station Mosaique FM that about 15 people were believed to have been aboard the boat when it departed from the area between Zarzis and Ben Guerdane.

According to Mosaique FM, the boat left early Thursday. 

A commercial vessel later found the only known survivor on Saturday, wearing a life jacket. The survivor provided information about the incident.

Following the rescue, a helicopter and coast guard boats were sent to the area to search for additional survivors, according to an Associated Press photojournalist at the scene.

The migrants were believed to have been attempting to reach Italy.