The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday said that initial reports suggested that four Pakistanis had died when the boat capsized near Ben Ghazi, Libya.
In a tweet, the ministry said that the Pakistani Embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli was ‘facilitating the process of transportation of the mortal remains to Pakistan.’
At least 62 migrants died after their overloaded boat sank two days ago, on February 26, 2023 (Sunday) in stormy seas off Italy’s southern Calabria region, officials said.
According to initial reports, 28 Pakistanis were among the deceased.
However, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Monday said a senior embassy official has met with 16 Pakistani survivors.
“They seemed in good physical condition. According to them, there were 20 Pakistanis on the ship,” the spokesperson said in a tweet.
“[The] embassy is in close contact with Italian authorities to verify the status of four missing Pakistanis.”
The vessel, which had set sail from Turkiye’s Izmir port four days ago, was wrecked in stormy weather near Steccato di Cutro, a seaside resort on the eastern coast of Calabria, according to Reuters.
Rescuers said many Afghans and some Iranians were also on board.