Three children died in the water during a Mediterranean crossing. It happened yesterday off Chebba, a port city in Tunisia, when two boats with migrants on board were intercepted by two Tunisian National Guard patrol boats. One of the boats was blocked and the migrants were taken aboard the patrol boat. The other boat, in an attempt to escape the blockade, was rammed by one of the vehicles of the Tunisian National Guard, according to what was told by a witness, which came into possession of the videos concerning what happened.
From the images it is not clear the moment of impact but the consequences are clear. Some of the people fell into the sea amid the screams and despair of those who had already been transferred to the patrol boat – «Racists! Look look, they’re drowning, they drowned our brothers! ” – and of those who still remained aboard the half-sunk vehicle.
Many managed to cling to the second vehicle of the Tunisian National Guard, but three children drowned, two were twins. Once arrived at the port, the witnesses tell of the great solidarity of the people on the shore, who helped the survivors, giving them money and accompanying those in need to the hospital or public transport stops.
Nobody was stopped by the authorities. Those who witnessed the scene are still in shock. One of the witnesses tells of the sense of shame felt in seeing such an action carried out by an institutional vehicle flying the Tunisian flag, the pain for the dead children. “The people at the port were upset, everyone helped as if in some way they wanted to apologize on behalf of our country,” said a witness.