Tunisian Interior Minister Lotfi Brahem was dismissed from his post on Wednesday as the North African country continued to reel from the weekend’s migrant boat sinking that left at least 66 people dead.
Numerous officials were also sacked from their positions.
No reason was given for the dismissal of Brahem, who the prime minister's office said will be replaced temporarily by Justice Minister Ghazi Jribi.
Sources close to the government told AFP that Brahem's sacking was expected, as he had poor relations with Prime Minister Youssef Chahed.
The minister's departure came after a boat overcrowded with migrants sank after leaving the Kerkennah Islands off the coast of Sfax province.
Earlier on Wednesday Brahem accused officials of negligence over the incident, announcing the sacking of 10 people.
A "preliminary investigation" had shown that officials had "directly or indirectly" failed to carry out their duties, an interior ministry statement said.
Among those fired were national guard officials based in Sfax and others from the maritime unit in Kerkennah.
A total of 68 people were rescued from the vessel after it ran into trouble late on Saturday evening.
On Monday the International Organization for Migration said "at least 112 people" had died in the accident.
Survivors have said the boat was packed with more than 180 people, which would mean dozens are still missing.
Authorities have said eight smugglers have been linked to the capsizing — all of them from Kerkennah — and police were trying to hunt them down.
The shipwreck is the deadliest in the Mediterranean since February 2, when 90 people drowned off the coast of Libya, according to the IOM.
In March, 120 people -- mostly Tunisians -- were rescued by the navy as they tried to reach the Italian coast.
As in other North African countries, desperate youth and even entire families are known to set off from Tunisia to attempt the risky Mediterranean crossing. The high number of deaths in the latest disaster, however, sparked criticism of the security apparatus. In October, a collision between a migrant boat and Navy vessel left 45 migrants dead.
Police oversight in Kerkennah has been reduced following clashes several months ago between officers and protesters seeking jobs at a company extracting oil at a field in the area.
The spokesman for the interior ministry, Khalifa Chibani, has said police forces would be reposted to the island "very shortly."
