The boat sank off Mahdia on the east coast after leaving the port of Sfax ten miles further south, the Forum for Social and Economic Rights (FTDES) said. Five of those on board were reportedly rescued by the Coast Guard.
The coast around Sfax has become an important starting point for migrant traffic across the Mediterranean in recent times. According to UN data, at least 12,000 people have made it to Italy from Tunisia this year, compared with 1,300 in the same period last year. In the past, most of them made their way through Libya.
80s of migrant ships stopped
Tunisia's coast guard says it has prevented some 80 boats from heading for Italy in the past four days. More than 3,000 migrants have been detained, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa.
During the same period, five boats sank on the coast near Sfax, the latest breakdown uncounted. 67 people are missing and nine have been found dead, according to Reuters.
Migrant traffic across the Mediterranean to Italy has increased significantly recently.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto recently claimed that the increase is part of a hybrid war and that the Russian private militia Wagner group is using its influence in Libya and other African countries to increase migrant flows toward Italy.