Tunisian authorities recover bodies of 15 migrants on beach

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisian authorities say they have recovered the bodies of 15 migrants who died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. A coast guard statement said the bodies were found Wednesday and Thursday on beaches near the town of Mahdia, 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of the capital, Tunis. Friday’s statement said most appeared to be Tunisians, and others were from sub-Saharan Africa. Faced with bleak economic prospects and a deepening political crisis, Tunisians increasingly put their lives in danger to try to reach Europe in search of a better life. The coast guard has thwarted more than 1,500 attempts at illegal migration to Italy from January to September 2022, involving entire families including nearly 2,500 children.