Over four Pakistanis dead as another boat capsizes off Libyan Coast

ISLAMABAD: Over four Pakistanis have so far been confirmed dead as another ill-fated boat carrying illegal migrants capsized off the Libyan Coast of Harawa.

Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement on Tuesday that at least four Pakistani nationals have been confirmed dead in a tragic boat accident off the coast of Harawa, near Sirte City in eastern Libya. The unfortunate vessel was carrying foreign migrants when it capsized, resulting in multiple fatalities.

“Our Mission in Tripoli has reported that a vessel carrying foreign nationals has sunk near the Harawa Coast, Sirte City (Eastern Libya). A Pakistan Embassy team’s visit to Sirte City has confirmed the recovery of 11 bodies of migrants. Of these, four have been identified as Pakistani nationals based on their national documents. Two bodies remain unidentified.”

The FO spokesperson remarked that the Pakistani Embassy in Tripoli dispatched a team to the site where local authorities had recovered 11 bodies from the water. The identities and details of the Pakistani victims confirmed so far are:

1. Zahid Mehmood, son of Liaqat Ali, Passport No: LY0161441 belonging to District: Gujranwala; 2. Sameer Ali, Passport No: RS1825681-District Mandi Bahauddin; 3. Syed Ali Hussain, Passport No: JG6912511-Mandi Bahauddin and 4. Asif Ali, Passport No: RS1825681-Mandi Bahauddin.

Following the tragic boat incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has activated its Crisis Management Unit (CMU) to coordinate efforts and facilitate the victims’ families besides monitoring the situation closely.

The Embassy in Tripoli is in contact with local officials to gather further information regarding the tragedy and to identify the remaining victims, the spokesperson remarked.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025