A migrant rescued after spending about 24 hours in the sea says he believes the other passengers died when his boat sank off Tunisia. Alarm Phone reported the vessel had departed from Tunisia and that a merchant ship located the survivor and transferred him to Malta for medical treatment. Maltese authorities and Alarm Phone did not disclose when the rescue took place. The incident highlights the continuing risks migrants face on Mediterranean crossings.
One Survivor, 50 Feared Dead After Migrant Boat Sinks Off Tunisia
A person rides a motorcycle through a flooded street as torrential rains hit the country, in Tunis, Tunisia January 20, 2026. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui
A migrant has been rescued and 50 others are feared drowned after a boat sank in the Mediterranean, officials and the Alarm Phone emergency hotline said on Sunday.
The survivor told Alarm Phone he had been in the sea for about 24 hours and believed everyone else aboard had died. Alarm Phone, which operates a hotline for migrants in distress, said the vessel had departed from Tunisia — a frequent launching point for those risking the perilous crossing to Europe.
A merchant ship located the man off the Tunisian coast and transferred him to Malta for medical treatment, Malta's armed forces confirmed. Neither the armed forces nor Alarm Phone provided a precise time for when the rescue occurred.
The incident underscores the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting Mediterranean crossings and has raised urgent calls from aid groups for improved search-and-rescue capacity in the region.
Reporting by Chris Scicluna in Valletta and Valentina Za in Milan; editing by Andrew Heavens.
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