Forty-one migrants lost their lives in a tragic shipwreck off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Survivors of the disaster, a group of four individuals originally from the Ivory Coast and Guinea, recounted their harrowing ordeal to local media.
The survivors, including a 13-year-old boy and three adults, revealed that they were aboard a boat that had embarked from Sfax, Tunisia, with the intention of reaching Italy.
The ill-fated vessel succumbed to the waves, sinking within hours after departure.
The boat, measuring a mere 7 meters in length, carried a total of 45 people, including three children.
Shockingly, only 15 individuals were equipped with life jackets, which proved insufficient to save their lives in the rough waters.
Reports from the Italian Red Cross and the German charity Sea-Watch shed light on the survivors' remarkable survival story.
The four individuals managed to stay afloat using inner tubes and life jackets, ultimately finding an empty boat in the sea.
Drifting for several days, they were eventually rescued, arriving in Lampedusa in a state of exhaustion and shock.
Despite their traumatic experience, the survivors were fortunate to sustain only minor injuries, as confirmed by treating physician Adrian Chiaramonte.
The incident has spurred an investigation by local public prosecutor Salvatore Vella, who is determined to uncover the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
More than 1,800 lives have been claimed in similar attempts to cross from North Africa to Europe this year alone.
The perilous journey is fraught with danger, particularly for sub-Saharan migrants using flimsy vessels, often ill-equipped to withstand the treacherous Mediterranean conditions.
The United Nations migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), highlighted the dire circumstances faced by migrants undertaking this journey.
IOM spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo emphasized the vulnerability of sub-Saharan migrants departing from Tunisia, who often resort to low-cost, fragile vessels that are prone to breaking apart after just a few hours of navigation.
Tunisia's port city, Sfax, situated approximately 80 miles (130 km) from Lampedusa, has become a common departure point for migrants seeking refuge and opportunities in Europe.
However, recent waves of racism against black Africans in Tunisia, coupled with the desire for a better life, have led to a surge in attempts to flee the country by boat.
The incident has reignited debates over migration policies, with Italy's far-right government implementing measures that redirect rescue ships away from Lampedusa and Sicily.
While the government claims this strategy aims to distribute arrivals more evenly across the nation, critics argue that it hampers rapid response to areas with a higher likelihood of shipwrecks.