The announcement follows an earlier report on the recovery, off the southern city of Sfax, of the bodies of 21 undocumented migrants whose boat capsized off the coast of Italy, and 78 others were rescued alive.

According to the summary of the official spokesman, the National Maritime Guard of Sfax helped 78 irregular migrants between June 26 and July 4.

The speakers refrained from disclosing the nationality of the victims of the crossing that has turned the Mediterranean Sea into a cemetery for thousands of people from Africa, the Levant and Asia, who are desperate to flee armed conflicts, economic crises and the lack of opportunities in their countries of origin.

jg/abo/mem/msl/gdc