A judicial official stated on Sunday that the death toll from multiple migrant shipwrecks off the coast of Tunisia had grown to 17 persons.

Four boats carrying 120 African migrants on their way to Italy sank off the coast of Tunisia near Sfax on Saturday, according to the Tunisian coast guard.

According to Mourad Turki, a spokesperson for Sfax Courts, another 5 bodies were discovered on Sunday, adding to the 12 discovered by the coast guard overnight. 98 people were rescued, according to the coast guard.

Sfax’s coastline has become a key departure point for people seeking a better life in Europe after leaving conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

Hundreds of migrants have drowned off the coast of Tunisia in recent months, with the increasing number of attempted crossings from Tunisia and Libya towards Italy.

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people have attempted the deadly Mediterranean passage.

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