As reported today Wednesday -August 9- the Italian authorities, at least 41 migrantsthree of them minors, have died in a new shipwreck registered in front of the italian island of lampedusain the Strait of Sicily.

Only 4 people seem to have survived of the boat, which left the city of Sfax, in Tunisia, and came from the Ivory Coast and Guinea. They have already been transferred to the mainland in Lampedusa.

Total, the ship had 45 migrants on board and began to sink after six hours of navigation due to the impact of a wave. All the migrants fell overboard, as explained by the witnesses, who have indicated that despite the fact that fifteen of them wore life jackets, they still perished, according to information from the newspaper ‘Corriere della Sera’.

More than 1,800 people have lost their lives so far this year on the journey from North Africa to Europe. The Tunisian authorities say that Sfax, a port city located about 130 kilometers from Lampedusa, is a frequent departure point used by migrants seeking a better life in Europe. Over the last few days, Italian coast guards and NGOs have managed to rescue more than 2,000 people who have arrived in Lampedusa.