At least nine die as African migrant boat sinks off Tunisia

At least nine African migrants died after their boat sank off Tunisia on Thursday as they were trying to reach Italy, a national guard official said.

The coast guard rescued another 44 people from the same boat off the southern coastal town of Zarzis, Houssem Eddine Jebabli told Reuters.

One of the rescued migrants was in a critical condition, Jebabli said.

A record 1,313 migrants were reported to have died or went missing off the Tunisian coast last year, a rights group said this week.

Tunisia has replaced Libya as North Africa's main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict elsewhere in Africa and across the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe.