Migrant boat capsizes near Libya, killing 7 Pakistani nationals

On February 11th Samaa TV reported that a migrant boat off the coast of Libya was involved in an accident, claiming the lives of at least 7 Pakistani nationals.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said the Pakistani migrants were residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These identities were confirmed through their passports.

The boat was carrying an estimated 65 migrants, and capsized near the port of Marsa Dila. currently, 10 bodies have been recovered, with rescue operations set to continue.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the incident on February 10^th.The Pakistani embassy in Libya sent a team to Zawiya Hospital to help local authorities to identify the deceased.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif expressed his deep sadness over the tragedy in Libya. He asked the Foreign Ministry to expedite the identification process of the deceased, requesting a detailed report on the incident from the Libyan authorities.

Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his zero tolerance policy regarding human trafficking, vowing strict action against those involved in these crimes, maintaining that negligence in this regard will not be tolerated.

This comes just ten days after the FIA arrested human smuggling ringleader Abdul Ghaffar, after a tragedy in January that saw 52 migrants lose their lives, many of which were also Pakistani nationals.

Samaa TV, Maghrebi, Hindustan Times