Published in Dawn on February 11, 2025
The bodies of 16 Pakistanis have been recovered with as many as 63 Pakistanis suspected on board a vessel that capsized off the coast of Libya, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday.
The incident comes on the heels of a similar tragedy last month in which a boat carrying 80 passengers capsized near Morocco. While the identities of at least 13 Pakistanis killed in the incident were confirmed, over 40 citizens were reportedly murdered by African human traffickers on the boat and only 22 survived the tragedy.
In a statement today, the FO said that a team from the Pakistani Embassy in Tripoli visited Zawiya city and gathered information after meeting local officials and the Zawiya hospital.
“According to unconfirmed reports, there were 63 Pakistanis on the boat and so far 16 dead bodies have been recovered and their Pakistani nationalities established on the basis of their passports.
“There are 37 survivors, including one in hospital and 33 in police custody. Reportedly, around 10 Pakistanis are missing in the accident. Three of the survivors are in Tripoli and being looked after by the Embassy,” the statement said.
The list of names shared by the FO contained details of the bodies recovered so far.
“The Embassy in Tripoli is in the process of gathering further information and maintaining contact with the local authorities,” the statement said.
A day earlier, the FO said that a ‘Crisis Management Unit’ has been activated to monitor the situation.
People seeking information about their loved ones had been asked to contact the embassy on these numbers: 03052185882, +218913870577, and +218 91-6425435 (WhatsApp).
The ministry’s Crisis Management Unit can be contacted at 051-9207887.
