Migrants die as boat sinks

AT least 48 migrants were killed when their boat sank off Tunisia’s coast and 67 others were rescued by the coast guard, one of the worst migrant boat accidents in recent years.

The boat went down near the southern island of Kerkenna, the defence ministry said in a statement. The victims were Tunisians and other nationalities, it said, without giving details.

Human traffickers increasingly use Tunisia as a launch pad for migrants heading to Europe. Security officials said the boat was packed with about 180 migrants.