4 Pakistani confirmed dead in Greece boat capsizing incident

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday confirmed that four Pakistani nationals were among those died in the boat capsizing incident in the south of Crete Island of Greece.

A wooden boat with mostly Pakistani nationals capsized off Greece’s southern island of Gavdos on Saturday. According to coastguard, the incident claimed at least five lives of migrants trying to enter Europe.

Earlier, the MOFA Spokesperson said 47 Pakistanis have been rescued in the boat capsizing incident so far.

Citing information share by the Greek authorities, MOFA said: “We announce with deep sorrow that … four Pakistani nationals have been identified among the dead in Saturday’s incidents of capsized boats in the south of Crete Island of Greece.”

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The spokesperson said Pakistani Embassy in Athens is in touch with the Hellenic Coast Guard and Chania Coast Guard, and a special cell has also been established in the Embassy to deal with the developing emergency situation.

The embassy has also released its WhatsApp number for information on missing persons after the boat capsizing incident: 00306943850188

Boat accidents have become a usual occurrence in the recent past, with human traffickers continuing their operations all across the globe, despite severe laws.

In June 2024, at least 350 Pakistanis were on board a ship that capsized off southern Greece. Then in March, an entire family from Pakistan, including four children, drowned near Turkey while attempting to reach Europe.

The tragedies are not limited to Pakistan. In November this year, at least 25 people died when a boat carrying people from nearly 30 different nationalities capsized off Comoros islands. In early October, 78 people drowned when a boat carrying 278 passengers capsized in Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In September, 48 migrants went missing when a boat sank near the Spanish island of El Hierro. In July, 15 people were killed and over 150 went missing after a boat carrying 300 passengers capsized near Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott on Monday.