Ankara: Tunisian authorities announced on Thursday that they have successfully recovered the bodies of all victims from a migrant boat that tragically sank off the coast of Zarzis in southeastern Tunisia. The National Guard confirmed that the search teams retrieved the final missing body on Wednesday, completing the recovery operation.

According to Anadolu Agency, the National Guard released a statement via Facebook, confirming that the process of identifying the victims and returning their bodies to their families had been completed. The ill-fated boat was carrying 15 individuals, with 14 hailing from the city of Ben Guerdane and one from Zarzis. Only one passenger survived the perilous journey.

The grim final toll from the sinking stands at 14 dead and one survivor. The extensive search and rescue operations were a collaborative effort involving naval units from the maritime guard, maritime customs, civil protection, and the navy. Additionally, two helicopters from the National Guard and the army were deployed to aid in the search.

On Saturday, the head of the Tunisian Human Rights Observatory, Mustapha Abdelkebir, informed Anadolu that the boat had capsized while attempting to reach Italy. National Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli, speaking on Monday, disclosed that the vessel sank 14 nautical miles off the Zarzis coast after departing on August 19.

Tunisia remains a significant departure point for irregular migrants aiming to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe. However, the number of such departures has decreased over the past two years, as Tunisian authorities have stepped up their campaign against irregular migration and tightened maritime border controls.