Tunis, Jan 27 (AP) At least six people trying to migrate from Africa to Europe died and an estimated 30 were missing in the Mediterranean Sea after their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia Thursday, according to Tunisia's official news agency.

Naval forces retrieved the bodies, rescued 34 survivors and are searching for the people listed as missing, TAP news agency quoted the Defense Ministry as saying. The boat had left from neighbouring Libya and sank 44 kilometers (26 miles) off the Tunisian town of Zarzis, TAP said.

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It's the latest of several migrant boat sinkings in the region. The central Mediterranean route, which runs from North Africa to southern Italy, is the busiest and deadliest migration route to Europe. People travel from Libya and Tunisia in crowded boats and at the mercy of the smugglers they pay to get them across the sea.

About 60,000 people arrived in Italy by sea last year, and some 1,200 died or disappeared on the journey, according to the United Nations refugee agency. (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)