The Foreign Office has confirmed the deaths of four Pakistanis in a boat capsizing incident near the southern Greek island of Goudos.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, resulted in the drowning of at least five illegal immigrants. The wooden boat capsized, and Greek Coast Guards have confirmed that 39 individuals were rescued, while 40 others remain missing.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office stated that the four Pakistani nationals were among those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The Pakistani Embassy in Athens has been in constant contact with Greek officials and is taking steps to assist the surviving Pakistanis and repatriate the bodies of the deceased, she said.
In a press conference, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Greece, Aamir Aftab Qureshi, provided further details. He confirmed that there were 80 Pakistanis aboard the ill-fated boat, and a rescue operation is still underway to locate the missing individuals.
He also noted that the boat was overcrowded, which contributed to the capsizing. Among the missing persons, a significant number are minors, raising concerns about their safety. The Pakistani citizens were on board five boats illegally from Libya, he added.
Ambassador Qureshi also reassured the public that the bodies of those who died in the accident would be flown back to Pakistan at the government’s expense.
