The death toll from Kerkennah shipwreck tragedy hit 55, Regional Director of civil protection in Sfax Mourad Mechri said in a statement to the TAP agency.
The recovered bodies were transported to Habib Bourguiba University Hospital morgue after verification of their identities in the forensic medicine service.
Most of the victims, including 28 women and two babies, are from Sub-Saharan Africa, besides one, Tunisian, who is the captain of the boat and is from Sfax, adds Mechri.
The quest is proceeding by the Coastguard in Sfax in help with units of the Civil Protection and Guard and the National Army to retrieve other bodies and an inquiry had been initiated to identify the organisers of this illegal emigration attempt on board this boat that left during the night of June 4 to 5 the Sfax coast towards the Italian coast carrying more than fifty people, the TAP reported.
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