Search continues in Tunisia as migrant boat sinking sparks protests

Volunteers in Tunisia have continued the search for two people still missing after a boat carrying 15 migrants sank off the country’s southeastern coast, as the city of Ben Guerdane reeled from violent protests sparked by the tragedy.

Footage, verified by Al Jazeera, showed volunteers in the city of Zarzis heading out to sea on fishing boats on Monday to search for the missing.

The migrant boat, believed to be headed towards Italy, sank late on Friday after setting off from a location between Zarzis and Ben Guerdane with 15 mostly young people on board. It sank about 14 nautical miles (26km) off the coast of Zarzis.

Only one person survived, having drifted at sea for about 48 hours before being rescued by a commercial vessel, according to Tunisian media.

The bodies of 12 people were recovered by Sunday, the Tunisian National Guard said.

The deaths have sparked a wave of grief and anger, triggering violent protests in Ben Guerdane on Sunday night. According to the Tunisian National Guard, some 14 people on the boat were from Ben Guerdane, and one was from Zarzis.

The protesters burned tyres and blocked roads, while police responded by firing tear gas to disperse the crowds. The protesters demanded better living conditions and economic development, saying a lack of opportunities and years of marginalisation are pushing young people to undertake dangerous sea crossings to Europe in search of a better life.

Mostafa Abdelkebir, the head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, said those on board included seven members of the same family. He told the Reuters news agency on Monday that a hospital in Ben Guerdane has received at least 19 bodies of migrants recovered from the sea over the past two days.