The deputy to the Assembly of the Representatives of the People for Ben Guerdane, Ali Zaghdoud, stated, in a statement given to Tunisia Digital, that the region is experiencing a climate of deep sadness and anger after the sinking of a boat carrying 15 people.
According to him, only one person survived the tragedy. The survivor is currently being treated at Zarzis Regional Hospital. His condition is deemed stable, though he suffers first-degree burns and continues his treatment.
Three bodies recovered and search operations still ongoing
Ali Zaghdoud indicated that the search operations were continuing on the third consecutive day, with the mobilization of security units, regional authorities and many residents of the region.
He said that this mobilization, in its scale, recalls the outpouring of solidarity observed in Ben Guerdane during the events of March 7.
The deputy added that three bodies had been recovered the day before yesterday and buried yesterday, while the searches continue to locate and identify the other victims.
Nineteen bodies at Habib Bourguiba Hospital according to the deputy
Ali Zaghdoud also stated that 19 bodies were currently at Habib Bourguiba Hospital, a number higher than the number of people missing in the involved shipwreck.
In response to this situation, the authorities, according to him, have undertaken the necessary examinations to determine the identities of the victims.
The deputy called for accelerating the communication of the results of DNA analyses, noting that the wait exacerbates the psychological distress of the families.
He stressed the need to promptly provide clear information to the relatives of the missing and the victims in order to end a situation of uncertainty that is particularly painful.
Call for a presidential visit to Ben Guerdane
Asked about the reaction of regional and national authorities, Ali Zaghdoud regretted the absence, so far, of a high-level delegation representing the Presidency of the Republic or the Presidency of the Government visiting the bereaved families.
According to him, the scale of the tragedy requires the presence of officials at the highest level to express the State’s solidarity with the families of the victims.
He therefore called for a ministerial delegation to come to Ben Guerdane, along with representatives of the Presidency of the Republic, or even the President of the Republic himself.
Ali Zaghdoud specified that several deputies and local officials had already visited the families to offer their support, while noting that “the anger of the inhabitants is great.”
Two nights of protests and a call for calm
The deputy indicated that Ben Guerdane had experienced protest movements over two consecutive nights after the tragedy, with tensions rising on the second night.
While saying he understands and supports the social and economic demands of the residents, he rejected any form of vandalism or damage to public and private property.
Ali Zaghdoud urged the protesters to preserve the peaceful nature of their mobilization and to express their demands without resorting to violence.
A ministerial council requested for Ben Guerdane and border regions
The deputy also linked the current anger to the persistent economic and social difficulties in Ben Guerdane and in several border regions.
According to him, the development deficit, weak investments and the lack of job opportunities are among the main factors fueling social tension.
He called for urgent and structural solutions, as well as a stronger presence of the State in these regions.
Ali Zaghdoud notably called for the holding of a ministerial council dedicated to border regions, and particularly to Ben Guerdane, in order to listen to the inhabitants’ demands and to define immediate and medium-term priorities to contain the crisis.
Investment, infrastructure, and major public projects
For the deputy, a durable response also passes through the development of infrastructure, the encouragement of investment, and the execution of major public projects capable of creating jobs and stimulating the local economy.
He finally urged the adoption of a new development model that would more fully integrate Ben Guerdane and other border regions into the national economic circuit.
According to him, these territories should benefit from development opportunities better suited to their geographic position and their economic and social particularities.
