21 Pakistanis among 36 boat tragedy survivors

ISLAMABAD:

The Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday that 21 Pakistan national survived a boat accident in the Atlantic Sea, off the coast of Morocco last week, in which at least around 50 people, including a number of Pakistanis were killed.

The Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people following the boat wreck incident on Wednesday that had left Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, on board, the group said. The Foreign Office said that verified reports confirmed that 21 of them were Pakistanis.

Those survivors were taken to safety in maritime operation near the town of Dakhla. The Foreign Office said that the Pakistan embassy and the Pakistani government remained in contact with Moroccan authorities to oversee the situation and ensure necessary support for the survivors.

The Foreign Office said that the Pakistani embassy in Rabat was providing essential aid, including food, water, medicines, and clothing to those affected, while medical teams were also assisting in the relief efforts.

An embassy's consular team was currently in Dakhla to oversee relief operations and coordinate with local authorities. The Foreign Office added that the government was in close coordination with relevant authorities in Morocco to finalise the repatriation procedures.

The Foreign Office also released the list of survivors. They are: Muddassir Hussain, Waseem Khalid, Muhammad Khaliq, Abdul Ghaffar, Gul Shameer, Tanveer Ahmed, Syed Muhammad Abbas Kazmi, Ghulam Mustafa, Syed Badar Mohyuddin, Imran Iqbal, Shoaib Zafar, Ali Hassan, Syed Mehtabul Hassan, Uzair Basharat, Mohammad Asif, Mujahid Ali, Amir Ali, Mohammad Umar Farooqie, Bilawal Iqbal, Arsalan, and Irfan Ahmad.