‘Fears for migrants’ off Tunisia

More than 200 migrants are missing in the Mediterranean Sea after a boat trying to reach Europe broke down, Tunisia’s Tap state news agency says.

The Tunisian coast guard rescued more than 550 but many were believed to have drowned in the rush to get off the vessel, the reports say.

An operation to rescue the would-be migrants began off the Tunisian Kerkennah islands on Wednesday.

The mainly African migrants were on a boat bound to Italy from Libya.