By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
FREETOWN, Aug. 19 (SALONE TIMES) – Sierra Leone Embassy in Egypt has confirmed in a press release that 6 Sierra Leoneans including 4 Children have died in the Sahara Desert.
According to the Embassy, they received the sad news from Tunisian Authority.
The Embassy revealed that the victims set off on a dangerous journey from Algeria to Tunisia through the Sahara Desert in an effort to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe when they faced their demise in Tunisa close to the Algeria border.
They confirmed that the six deceased were discovered by Tunisian Security Personnel who routinely patrol frontiers to maintain security and prevent illegal immigration, noting that the victims includes a mother and her four children, two of whom are twins and another young lady.
That the remains of the deceased are in custody of the Tunisian Security Authorities awaiting autopsy and at the same time working with the community towards establishing the true identity of the deceased.
The Embassy confirmed that family members were reached and they claimed that the bodies are their family members, noting that consultations are ongoing between the Embassy and the Tunisian Authorities who are leading the fact-finding mission, the Governor of the Tunisia, Tozeur Region, the International Organization of Migration (IOM), International Community of Red Cross (ICRC), the Sierra Leone Community in Tunisia and the family members.
