FO confirms one Pakistani dead, 47 among survivors in Greek boat capsize incident: FO

The Foreign Office has confirmed that a Pakistani citizen was among those died in a boat accident near a Greek island.

Spokesperson for Foreign Office Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, in a statement, that according to preliminary reports, 47 Pakistanis were among those who were rescued after the boat overturned in the southern island of Greece yesterday, while one Pakistani was among the dead.

“At this stage we are unable to confirm the number of dead or missing Pakistani nationals,” the statement said.

The Foreign Office spokesperson further said that the Pakistani Embassy in Athens is in direct contact with the relevant Coast Guard authorities participating in the search and rescue operation.

The embassy officials have reached Crete to meet the rescued Pakistanis and provide them with all possible assistance, the statement added.

The Foreign Office said that the families of the missing Pakistanis can contact the Pakistan Embassy.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his regret over the death of Pakistanis in a boat accident near the island in Greece and said that human traffickers are a cruel mafia that extorts money from poor people by showing them false dreams.

Earlier, at least five dead and many missing after a migrant boat sinks off Greek coast.

According to the foreign news agency, a migrant boat sank near the southern Greek island. The Greek Coast Guard said that five people died in the accident, 40 people are missing and 39 have been rescued.