World News | Bodies of 12 Pakistani Migrants Who Died in Boat Sinking Have Been Repatriated
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The bodies of 12 out of at least 16 Pakistanis who died this month when a boat carrying dozens of Europe-bound migrants sank off Libya's coast have been repatriated to Pakistan, officials said Friday.
Parachinar (Pakistan), Feb 28 (AP) The bodies of 12 out of at least 16 Pakistanis who died this month when a boat carrying dozens of Europe-bound migrants sank off Libya's coast have been repatriated to Pakistan, officials said Friday.
Most of the victims who died in the capsizing were from Kurram, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Also Read | Ramadan 2025 Date in UAE: Moon Sighted, Ramzan To Start From March 1, Know Significance of the Holy Month.
The boat was carrying more than 60 Pakistani nationals, and out of them 37 people were rescued, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Ten people remained unaccounted for.
Ashfaq Ahmed, a government administrator, said nine of the 12 bodies were sent to Kurram by helicopters on Thursday and Friday. He said the bodies of the four remaining victims will be brought home soon.
Libya, which shares borders with six nations and has a long coastline along the Mediterranean, is a main transit point for migrants escaping war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East to seek better lives in Europe.
Every year, hundreds of Pakistanis die while attempting to reach Europe via perilous land and sea routes, often facilitated by human smugglers. In January, authorities said dozens of Pakistanis died when a boat capsized off West Africa. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)