ISLAMABAD: The death toll from the capsized boat tragedy off the coast of Greece climbed to 40 after rescue efforts by Greek officials to find survivors, including 35 missing Pakistanis, ended without any success on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Pakistani officials confirmed the deaths of five people belonging to Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, and Mandi Bahauddin districts. The 35 missing nationals were presumed dead on Wednesday, taking the tally to 40, Dawn News reported.
Pakistan PM vows action against traffickers
Earlier, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had vowed stern action against human traffickers after the tragic incident.
“Such persons should be identified and they should be handed strict punishments so that they do not repeat such heinous crimes,” Sharif said in a statement shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). “Concrete steps should be taken to prevent such incidents from happening in the future,” he added.
Greece key entry point to EU
Sharif also directed the Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to submit an inquiry report on the matter.
Greece is a key entry point to the European Union for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia in 2015-2016, when nearly one million people arrived on its islands, mostly aboard inflatable boats.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants tragically drowned when an overcrowded vessel capsized in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos. This disaster became one of the deadliest boat tragedies in the Mediterranean Sea.
Only 104 people were rescued, including 12 Pakistanis, and 82 bodies were recovered following the incident. The tragedy prompted Pakistani authorities to launch a nationwide crackdown on human smugglers.
The incident prompted Pakistani authorities to launch a nationwide crackdown against human smugglers.
