TUNIS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian coast guards have retrieved 12 bodies of undocumented immigrants, including three infants, after their boat sank off Djerba Island in southeastern Tunisia, Tunisian radio Mosaique FM reported Monday.
"A total of 29 immigrants were rescued during the operation, and the search for the missing, the number of whom was not specified, is still underway," Houcemeddine Jbabli, spokesperson for the Tunisian National Guard, told the radio.
"The boat set sail this morning at around 5:15 a.m. local time (0415 GMT)," Jbabli said, adding that most of the immigrants were Tunisian nationals, accompanied by two foreign immigrants.
Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe. ■
