Illegal migrants saved off Tunisia

Tunisian coastguards yesterday rescued 34 illegal migrants from stormy seas and recovered the body of at least one other who drowned off the coast of the southern Tunisian island of Kerkenah, officials said.

They said the migrants - 22 from Sudan, 11 from Ivory Coast and one from Liberia - were on board a rubber dinghy heading for Italy when it ran into bad weather near Kerkenah, south of the capital Tunis.

Authorities were investigating whether any other migrants apart from the dead Sudanese man had fallen overboard.

An Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed a rescue had taken place, but declined to give further details.

The officials said the migrants were brought to Kerkenah for first aid ahead of deportation to their home countries.

They would not say whether the migrants had started their journey from Tunisia or neighbouring Libya. But a diplomatic source said it was believed the boat came from Libya.