TUNIS: At least 12 Tunisians including three children were found dead after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of the southeastern island of Djerba on Monday, a judicial official said.

The boat went down at dawn and 29 people were rescued, Medenine court spokesman Fethi Baccouche told AFP, adding five men and four women were among the dead, and that the cause of the sinking remained unknown.

The Tunisian National Guard said it was alerted by four migrants who swam back ashore.

Radio Tataouine said the boat had about 60 passengers on board. It remained unclear how many were still missing.

Tunisian media outlets said the migrants had set sail from the peninsula of Ras Rmel Hachana in northern Djerba and were heading to the Italian island of Lampedusa.