TUNIS, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian Maritime Guard found nine bodies of undocumented immigrants in the coastal province of Mahdia in eastern Tunisia, Tunisian radio Jawhara FM reported late Monday night.
"Seven bodies were washed ashore in Chebba and the two others were found ashore in Salakta," Farid Ben Jha, the spokesperson for the courts of Mahdia and Monastir, told Jawhara FM, without specifying the nationalities of the deceased.
He stated that the nine bodies, which were in a state of decomposition, were transferred to Taher Safar University Hospital in Mahdia to carry out the necessary procedures and determine their identity.
Tunisia is one of the main departure points for migrants seeking irregular entry into Europe. In 2023, some 17,322 illegal immigrants reached Italian shores via Tunisia. ■
