Islamabad: At least 32 Pakistani nationals were aboard the ship that had recently capsized off the coast of Libya, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Sunday.
“There were 32 Pakistanis among 80 to 90 people aboard the boat,” Foreign Office spokesman Dr. Mohammad Faisal said in a statement.
He added that officials of the Pakistani mission had reached the site on the same day (February 01), Geo News reported.
Faisal said information on the deceased Pakistani nationals was made available on the Foreign Office’s website. He added that four Pakistani nationals have not been identified yet.
“Efforts are being made to bring bodies of deceased Pakistani citizens, for which funds have been provided to the embassy,” Faisal maintained.
On Saturday, Faisal confirmed that 16 Pakistani nationals, out of the 90 people had died in the shipwreck.
At least 90 migrants were reportedly feared drowned off the coast of Libya after their boat capsized last Thursday, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The IOM stated that the shipwreck did not occur due to inclement weather as the sea was calm. It said that most of the migrants were believed to be Pakistani nationals.
The IOM added that out of the ten bodies recovered, two of them were Libyans, while the remaining eight were Pakistanis during the initial rescue operations. (ANI)