Greek authorities have said 78 dead and 104 survivors – mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Pakistan – were brought ashore after the overcrowded boat sank about 50 miles off the southern Greek town of Pylos early on Wednesday, days after it set sail from Tobruk in Libya, heading towards Italy.
More than 500 people were believed missing, including children, and relatives were still seeking information after the boat sank in one of the deepest parts of the sea .
After it emerged that dozens of Pakistanis were among those onboard the trawler , Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif , ordered an immediate crackdown on agents engaged in people-smuggling, saying they would be severely punished .
Sharif said today would be a day of mourning in Pakistan, with the national flag flying at half mast.
He previously said Pakistan’s embassy in Athens ha d identified 12 nationals who had been rescued by the coastguard. There was no official information on exactly how many Pakistanis were onboard the vessel, how many survived and how many died. It is believed the total could be more than 200.
Greek authorities have been criticised for their failure to act more quickly. They said the boat’s occupants had insisted they did not need any help, but NGOs said they had received calls for help.
Police in Pakistan-administered Kashmir said yesterday that they had arrested 10 people allegedly involved in sending local youths to Libya for the onward journey to Europe.
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