TUNIS -- At least 70 illegal immigrants died and 16 others were rescued from a sinking boat 40 miles off Sfax coast in southeastern Tunisia, reported Friday by local media.

According to Tunisian national news agency, the victims are sub-Saharan Africans who sailed from Libya trying to reach the Italian coasts.

"The survivors were rescued by Tunisian fishing boats," said the report, adding that the number of victims could rise, as the search for bodies by the Tunisian navy is currently going on.

The navy has repeatedly rescued dozens of illegal immigrants from drowning, as they attempted to reach the Italian coasts.

Tunisia, located along the Mediterranean, is considered one of the main points of access to Europe through irregular channels.