Enlarge image
An abandoned dinghy floats off the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean (stock image)
Photo: Fabian Heinz/ dpa
Four boats carrying people fleeing capsized off the coast of Tunisia, killing at least 17 people.
The bodies were taken from the sea by rescue workers, said a court spokesman in the Tunisian port of Sfax.
"At least one baby" was among the dead.
The spokesman expressed the fear that the number of deaths could increase significantly.
According to survivors, there were between 30 and 32 people in each boat.
According to the court spokesman, the boats, which had been prepared for the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea, were in "poor condition".
The majority of the people who left in the four boats on Saturday night came from sub-Saharan Africa, the spokesman said.
At least six refugees were also killed off the coast of Lebanon at the weekend.
The boat capsized near the northern Lebanese coastal city of Tripoli on Saturday.
According to Transport Minister Ali Hamie, there were around 60 people on board.
45 of them were rescued, Hamie said on the radio on Saturday evening.
SOS Méditerranée: 70 people rescued
The private aid organization SOS Méditerranée has rescued 70 people in distress off the coast of Libya.
The organization said on Twitter on Sunday that they were in a dinghy on the Mediterranean Sea that was losing air.
Among the rescued are 17 unaccompanied minors.
In addition to the "Ocean Viking", the German "Sea-Eye 4" and the "Geo Barents" from Doctors Without Borders are currently on a mission in the Mediterranean.
The "Geo Barents" reported on Saturday that it had rescued around 100 people from distress at sea.
Sol/AFP/dpa
