Tunisia, July 5 (AFP/APP): The identity of dozens of migrants who drowned off Tunisia last month might have been lost without a trace, like thousands of others who have disappeared on the treacherous sea route to Europe.
But when authorities recovered 61 bodies near the eastern port city of Sfax, they carefully took note of any details that could one day help lead to their identification.
Tattoos, moles, fingerprints, dental impressions, DNA, even clothing brands and sizes — “every clue must be noted and recorded”, forensic scientist Samir Maatoug said. He and his team have gathered photos, medical data and other information on the 30 men, 29 women and two children aboard the migrant boat that capsized off the Tunisian coast in early June, leaving no survivors.
The boat’s local captain was quickly identified, but for the passengers — all from sub-Saharan Africa — the task was much more difficult. The migrants were buried in a Muslim cemetery near Sfax, in numbered and indexed graves, in case one day someone should come to claim them or discover their fate.
Dozens of bodies of foreign migrants are recovered from the sea off Tunisia every year, casualties of journeys toward Europe across the Mediterranean that ended in tragedy. Tunisian authorities long interred them anonymously in makeshift cemeteries.
Stay tuned to BAAGHI TV for latest news and updates!
