At least four Pakistani citizens were among the 11 bodies recovered after a migrant ship sank near the Costa de Sirte de Harawa in eastern Libya, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan confirmed on Monday.
“Our mission in Tripoli has reported that a boat that transports foreign citizens has sunk near the coast of Harawa, city of Sirte (Eastern Libya),” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an official statement.
“The visit of a team from the Pakistan Embassy to Sirte has confirmed the recovery of 11 bodies of migrants. Of these, four have been identified as Pakistani citizens based on their national documents. Two bodies still do not identify,” the statement added.
Pakistani identified victims include Zahid Mehmood from Gujranwala, and Sameer Ali, Syed Ali Hussain and Asif Ali, all from Mandi Bahauddin.
“The Embassy in Tripoli is actively working to collect more information on the affected Pakistani citizens and is in contact with local authorities,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In response to tragedy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also activated its crisis management unit. “The Crisis Management Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been activated to monitor the situation,” the statement concluded.
The efforts are ongoing to determine the identities of the remaining victims and help affected families.
