At least 40 migrants — including infants and young children — drowned on October 22, 2025, when a small vessel carrying people from sub-Saharan Africa capsized off the central Tunisian coast near the port of Mahdia, Tunisian judicial and rescue authorities said. About 30 people were rescued by Tunisian naval units and taken to shore; survivors and officials say an investigation into the cause of the sinking has been opened.
Local judicial sources quoted by news agencies said the coastguard and naval crews responded after the vessel went down and that magistrates in Mahdia were involved in identifying victims and interviewing survivors. Mahdia has become one of the frequent departure points for migrants attempting the dangerous crossing to Europe.
Tunisian authorities have in recent months stepped up maritime patrols to try to deter smugglers and reduce departures from its shores, but humanitarian groups and U.N. agencies warn that such measures alone have not stopped the steady flow of people who risk overcrowded boats and poor safety equipment to reach Europe. International organizations have repeatedly urged safer legal routes and strengthened search-and-rescue capacity after recurrent shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean.
The latest disaster is one in a long chain of deadly Mediterranean crossings this year and in recent years. U.N. and humanitarian data show thousands have died or gone missing on the central Mediterranean route since 2014; agencies say greater international coordination on rescue, disembarkation and legal pathways is needed to prevent further loss of life.
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