In a briefing at the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that 63 of the 73 people who have drowned in the boat disaster in Libya were the Pakistanis, most of them feared dead.
Managers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the incident occurred on February 8, involving a boat carrying 73 people.
Among the survivors, two Pakistani nationals pointed out that the boat contained 63 Pakistanis and 10 Bangladeshis. The majority of passengers on board were killed in the tragic accident, and most of the deceased Pakistanis came from the Kurram and Bajaur districts of the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Rescue teams in Libya have recovered 10 bodies from a migrant boat that capsized off the coast, including 7 Pakistani.
The victims, six of the Kurram agency and one from Bajaur, were part of a group of 65 people who tragically drowned in the incident.
According to international press agencies, no survivors have been found so far.
The incident took place yesterday near the port of Marsa Dela, located northwest of the Libyan city of Zawiya.
During the current life efforts, the bodies of 10 passengers were recovered, including 7 Pakistani. Six of the deceased came from the Kurram agency, and one praised Bajaur.
Reports indicate that at least 16 Pakistanis were aboard the unhappy boat, with continuous efforts to locate the missing passengers
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sadness and regret because of the tragic boat accident off the coast of Libya, which led to the loss of precious Pakistani lives. The Prime Minister ordered the competent authorities to submit a report on the incident.
A statement published by the Prime Minister’s office said the Prime Minister had prayed for the elevation of the souls of the deceased and prolonged condolences to the families of the victims.
According to the press release, the Prime Minister ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to quickly identify deceased Pakistanis and provide them with all the necessary help.
The Prime Minister also said that strict measures would be taken against people involved in the trafficking of human beings, adding that any negligence in this regard would not be tolerated. He stressed that the government is taking solid measures to fight against human trafficking.
This development comes after a similar incident last month, when a boat carrying 80 passengers capsized near Morocco.
The unhappy ship carried 86 migrants, the Moroccan authorities reporting that 66 of the passengers were Pakistani nationals. After the incident, 36 people were saved by the Moroccan authorities.
