Boat tragedy: Pakistan observes national mourning, 12 arrested for human trafficking | Key points

Around 400 Pakistanis were on the ill-fated trawler that was carrying 750 migrants from Libya to Europe. On Wednesday, it capsized off the Greek coast.

Published on: Jun 19, 2023, 10:02:16 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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A nationwide day of mourning is being observed in Pakistan on Monday after ‘hundreds of people’ from the country lost their lives in a boat tragedy off the coast of Greece on Wednesday last week.

Some of the survivors of the Greek boat tragedy (Image courtesy: AP)

Also Read: Pakistan declares day of mourning for citizens who died in Greece shipwreck

In a tweet on Sunday, prime minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a high-level probe, and assured citizens that ‘heads will roll.’

Here are the 5 latest points on this tragedy:

(1.) Launching a crackdown, police in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) arrested a dozen individuals who were allegedly involved in sending around 28 locals to Libya for the onward journey to Europe on the ill-fated boat that was carrying migrants, and capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Greek coast.

(2.) ‘More than 300’ Pakistani nationals have died in the incident, claimed Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, the chairman of the country's Senate, according to CNN. Greece, however, is yet to confirm this figure.

(3.) The total number of passengers on the sunken trawler is estimated to be around 750, including ‘at least 400’ Pakistanis, 200 Egyptians, and 150 Syrians.

(4.) Till now, as many as 104 migrants have been rescued and 78 bodies recovered. At least 43 Egyptians survived the shipwreck, the African nation's embassy in Greece said on Saturday.

(5.) The same day, Pakistan's foreign ministry noted in a tweet that 12 people from their country had been identified among survivors. The embassy, however, added that at this stage, it was unable to verify the number and identity of Pakistanis among the victims.

(With agency inputs)

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HT News Desk
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