Not less than 10 African migrants are declared missing and five drowned after a boat sank off Tunisia, as they attempted to cross the Mediterranean to Italy.

The overcrowded passenger boat sank off Louata in Sfax region of Tunisia on Friday.

A judicial official said on Saturday, that coastguard tried rescuing 20 migrants who had been on the overcrowded boat.

Sfax coastline has become a major departure point for people fleeing poverty in Africa and the Middle East – seeking for greener pasture in Europe.

Repeatedly, hundreds of people have drowned off the Tunisian coast, with an increase in the frequency of attempted crossings from Tunisia and Libya towards Italy.

In light of an unprecedented economic and financial crisis in Tunisia, more than 18,000 Tunisians travelled by boats to Europe in 2022, according to rights group Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights.