The Tunisian navy has recovered seven more corpses from a shipwreck of migrants at the weekend, bringing the overall number of dead to 55, the interior ministry said today.
"The search team has succeeded in recovering seven corpses, bringing to 55" the number of bodies found, the ministry said in a statement.
Ministry spokesman Khalifa Chibani earlier on Tuesday said the dead identified so far were "36 Tunisians and 12 foreigners", referring to migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
A total of 68 survivors -- including 60 Tunisians -- have been rescued since search operations began early Sunday off the Mediterranean coast of Tunisia's southern city of Sfax.
Survivors said there were at least 180 people on board when the overloaded fishing vessel began to sink late Saturday night near Tunisia's Kerkennah Islands off Sfax.
Search efforts continued Tuesday, with a helicopter flying over the island chain, according to an AFP journalist on site.
In a visit to the area, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said "social reasons pushed these young people into this adventure, compounded by a state of frustration and despair".
On Monday, the premier had called for greater efforts to quickly dismantle the "criminal networks that profit from these young people looking to emigrate and putting their lives in danger".
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