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At least 20 migrants died in a shipwreck off Tunisia's eastern city of Sfax, while five others were rescued, the National Guard which oversees the coastguard said Wednesday.

Maritime units have "recovered 20 bodies" and the search continues after they were "able to rescue five migrants of sub-Saharan African origin" from a boat that sank off El Louza, north of Sfax, a statement said.

According to the National Guard, the boat set off at around 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) on Tuesday from the Chebba area north of Louza, before sinking about 25 kilometres (16 miles) off the coast.

On December 12, the coastguard said nine migrants died while 27 from sub-Saharan African countries were rescued and six others were missing.

Sfax has become the main departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe. Each year, tens of thousands of people attempt the perilous Mediterranean sea crossing.

Italy, whose Lampedusa island is only 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Tunisia, is often their first port of call.

Since the beginning of the year, Tunisian human rights group FTDES has counted "between 600 and 700" dead and missing migrants due to shipwrecks off Tunisia, after more than 1,300 migrants died or disappeared in 2023.