Baby among two killed after migrant boat capsizes off Tunisia

The coastguard rescued a further 13 people from the waters

A baby and a man have been killed after a boat capsized near Tunisia (Anadolu Agency/Getty )

An eight-month-old baby is among two people killed after a migrant boat capsized off Tunisia’s Gabes coast.

State radio said that a further 13 people were rescued while a search is currently underway for missing migrants.

A statement from the coastguard said that the vessel carrying 20 Tunisians went down at 2am and 120 metres away from the beach in Gabes.

“Two bodies have been recovered, one of a 20-year-old man and the other of an infant,” the statement read.

It added that authorities in Gabes have launched an investigation to “determine the circumstances of this tragedy”.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, more than 1,800 people have died this year while crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a bid to reach Europe.

Tunisia has emerged as a major landing point for migrants and refugees hoping to undertake the perilous journey, which is considered the world’s deadliest route.

The coastal city of Sfax, which is located about 80 miles from the Italian island of Lampedusa, has seen a recent surge in migrant crossings, with 41 killed during a shipwreck on Wednesday.

It comes after at least six people died in the English Channel after a small boat capsized on Saturday morning.

An operation involving French and British authorities rescued dozens of people after receiving reports that a boat was struggling in the water.

Rescue efforts continue with two migrants still believed to be missing, with numerous boats and merchant vessels involved in the search.

Accounts from survivors of the shipwreck say at least 65 people took to the sea in the boat that sank, French authorities said in a statement this afternoon.

Several were carried onto shore on stretchers, with about 58 people rescued from the waters.

Six people, one of whom was airlifted to hospital, were recovered in a serious condition but were later pronounced dead.

At least 22 people were dropped off at Dover by UK crews while 36 were taken to the port of Calais on a French boat, France’s maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said.

Home secretary Suella Braverman said: “My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragic loss of life in the Channel today.

“I have spoken with our Border Force teams this morning who have been supporting the French authorities in response to this incident.”