Overview
- Maritime dispatches from Italy’s IMRCC recorded eight SAR cases tied to boats leaving Sfax between January 14 and 21, listing about 380 people missing as of January 24.
- Refugees in Libya/Tunisia and Mediterranea report many more departures than in official alerts, citing at least 29 small boats from the Sfax coast that largely did not return.
- Survivor Ramadan Konte was rescued by the cargo ship Star after more than 24 hours in the water and said roughly 48 people from his boat were lost, with video showing numerous bodies.
- Recovery efforts have yielded limited confirmations so far, including about a dozen bodies brought ashore by Maltese authorities and one woman recovered by Ocean Viking and landed at Siracusa.
- Italian politicians, including Sandro Ruotolo and Matteo Orfini, filed formal questions pressing for clearer data, stronger search‑and‑rescue coordination, and explanations for the response.