A migrant boat that set off from Tunisia sank in the central Mediterranean overnight, leaving one woman dead and several others missing, according to the Italian Red Cross.

The vessel, a fishing boat carrying nearly 90 people, went down about 45 miles (72 kilometers) from the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Italian media reported that the boat had departed from La Louza in Tunisia. Tunisian fishermen in the area spotted the vessel in distress and alerted Italian authorities. "We believe five or six people may still be missing," said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Italian coastguard responded swiftly, rescuing 87 migrants from the sea. All those on board were from sub-Saharan Africa and were taken to a reception center in Lampedusa, run by the Italian Red Cross. "The survivors are now safe and receiving care at our facility," a Red Cross spokesperson confirmed. "Sadly, the coastguard also recovered the body of a woman who had drowned."

This incident adds to the growing toll of lives lost along the central Mediterranean route—one of the deadliest migration paths in the world. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 3,155 migrant deaths in the Mediterranean in 2023, a sharp rise from 1,450 in 2020.

As of June 30, Italy’s interior ministry reports that 29,903 migrants have arrived by sea this year, including 5,146 unaccompanied minors. While that number is slightly higher than the same period last year, it remains less than half of the 65,519 arrivals recorded in the first six months of 2023.

"These numbers reflect both a persistent humanitarian crisis and the ongoing dangers migrants face at sea," said a spokesperson for the IOM.