14 migrants die in shipwreck off Tunisian coast

Fourteen migrants perished in a shipwreck off the coast of Ben Gadrane in southeastern Tunisia, according to the official TAP news agency. The boat had set sail early Thursday morning carrying 15 individuals, primarily young people, including seven members of a single family and a married couple.

Mostafa Abdelkebir, director of the Tunisian Observatory of Human Rights, informed Reuters that only one person survived the ordeal. The survivor recounted to rescue teams that they had been adrift at sea for two days following the capsizing of their vessel.

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The number of deceased migrants has more than doubled on the Central Mediterranean route and tripled on the Eastern Mediterranean route during the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, despite the number of arrivals in Europe having considerably reduced.

The spokesperson for the Tunisian National Guard confirmed the sole survivor's account. This tragedy underscores the perilous nature of the Central Mediterranean route, a common path for migrants from Africa and the Middle East attempting to reach Europe. These journeys are often undertaken in overcrowded and precarious vessels.

According to the International Organization for Migrations (IOM), the number of migrant deaths and disappearances on the Central Mediterranean route has more than doubled in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. In total, 914 people have died or gone missing on this route so far in 2026, with over half of these incidents occurring in January during Cyclone Harry.

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The Central Mediterranean route from the North African coast is one of the deadliest in the world, used by migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to reach Europe, often in overcrowded or precarious vessels.