Around 50 migrants died when their boat sank in the central Mediterranean, the Times of Malta reported late Sunday, citing a survivor’s account.

Malta’s armed forces told the newspaper that a man was rescued from the sea by a cargo ship off Tunisia on Friday and was later brought to Malta for medical treatment.

"Authorities confirm that one survivor was rescued to Malta. According to him, 50 people did not survive. The people started from Tunisia and spent 24 hours in the water," Alarm Phone, an independent support group for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to European Union nations, also confirmed on the US social media company X’s platform.

Last week, Alarm Phone reported that around 150 people went missing in the central Mediterranean involving at least three boats departing from Tunisia. It has not yet been confirmed whether the boat that sank was among them. (Anadolu Agency)