At least 41 people drown in shipwreck off Tunisia: UN agencies

A shipwreck off the coast of southeast Tunisia killed at least 41 people Thursday evening, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a joint press release on Friday.

According to the UN agencies, three survivors have been rescued and the search effort is still underway on Friday.

Based on initial information, the UN agencies said that all those who perished were from Sub-Saharan Africa.

“This tragic loss of life underscores once again the need to enhance and expand state-led search and rescue operations across the Central Mediterranean, where some 290 people have lost their lives so far this year,” said the press release.