20 feared dead as migrant boat sinks off Tunisia

At least 20 African migrants died when their boat sank off Tunisia yesterday as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a Tunisian security official said. 

The coastguard rescued five people and was searching for about 20 others who were still unaccounted for, the official told Reuters.

The coastline near the Tunisian port city of Sfax has become a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and searching for a better life in Europe.

Around 45 people were on the boat when it sank, a security official said. 

All the dead and rescued migrants were from sub-saharan Africa, he added.