Tunisia retrieves 31 bodies of immigrants off coasts

Tunisian coast guards have retrieved 31 bodies of illegal immigrants off the country’s coasts late Sunday night, Tunisian National Guard said Monday.

“Coast guard units retrieved 31 bodies, including two women and two children, off the coasts of Sfax, Mahdia and Gabes provinces,” Houcemeddine Jbabli, Tunisian National Guard’s spokesman, said in a statement.

Preliminary examinations have shown that the victims were from sub-Saharan African countries, according to Jbabli.

During the spring and summer seasons, the number of illegal immigrants seeking to reach Italy via Tunisian coasts increases significantly due to favourable weather conditions.

Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the most popular points of illegal immigration to Europe. (Xinhua)