(International Agencies) - Tunisian authorities recovered Sunday, April 24, 2022, the bodies of 17 migrants after four boats trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea heading for Europe capsized off the coast of Tunisia, a court official said.

On Saturday, the Tunisian coast guard said four boats carrying 120 African migrants and refugees headed for Italy had sunk off the coast near the city of Sfax.

Another five bodies were recovered Today, Sunday, adding to 12 found by the coast guard overnight, Mourad Turki, spokesperson for the Sfax courts, told Reuters news agency.

The coast guard said 98 people had been rescued.

it is noteworthy that the coastline of Sfax has become a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and seeking a better life in Europe, where Figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) showed that more than 123,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2021, compared with more than 95,000 in 2020.