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GUJRAT: Four Pakistani immigrants have died in a boat accident near Libya’s Harawa coast, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday.
The accident was the latest in a series of mishaps over the past few years in which hundreds of Pakistani were killed in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean while trying to reach Europe from Africa illegally.
Most recently, at least 100 Pakistanis died in tragic boat accidents last December and January after remaining adrift in open seas for days while trying to enter Europe.
The FO said the Pakistani embassy in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, has reported that a vessel carrying foreign nationals sunk near the coast of Harawa in the eastern Sirte City.
FO says victims belonged to Gujranwala, Gujrat regions; efforts underway to bring back bodies
The embassy “confirmed the recovery of 11 bodies of migrants”, of which “ four have been identified as Pakistani nationals“.
Two bodies remain unidentified, the FO added, without offering any details on when the accident occurred.
The statement added that the ‘Crisis Management Unit’ of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been activated to monitor the situation.
People can enquire about the accident by calling 051-9207887 or sending an email to cmu1@mofa.gov.pk.
The four victims belonged to central Punjab’s Gujranwala and Gujrat regions, a hotbed of illegal immigration.
The deceased have been identified as Zahid Ali of Mohal Sandhuan, Gujranwala; Sameer Ali of Sheikhupur near Gujrat; Syed Ali Hussain of Dhal, Mandi Bahauddin; and Asif Ali of Shafqatabad, Mandi Bahauddin.
FIA sources told Dawn that as per the initial investigation, the four men left the country from Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Quetta airports during the last couple of years.
Family sources said the victims had been waiting for months for their turn to travel towards Europe.
The FO was in touch with Libyan authorities to repatriate the bodies of victims, FIA sources added. However, it might take a week or more.
Earlier, the Libyan Rescue Centre said it had received a distress call from a boat carrying 67 people drifting toward the Tunisian coast.
In a statement, the centre said it was coordinating with Italian and Tunisian coast guards, adding the vessel had entered Tunisian waters and was in a very critical condition.
Nearly a month ago, six bodies were recovered after 40 immigrants went missing as a boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Lampedusa island.
Earlier in January, several Pakistani immigrants were killed by human traffickers in the open sea after leaving Mauritania.
Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2025
