A boat carrying approximately 65 Pakistanis capsized on Monday near Libya’s Marsa Dela port, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed. The Pakistani embassy in Tripoli is working to gather details about those affected.
“Our Embassy in Tripoli has informed that a vessel carrying approximately 65 passengers capsized near the port of Marsa Dela, northwest of Zawiya city, Libya,” the FO said in a statement.
A team from the embassy was immediately dispatched to a local hospital to identify the deceased and ascertain the number of Pakistani nationals affected. It remains unclear whether the passengers on board were migrants attempting to travel illegally.
The FO has urged citizens to contact its Crisis Management Unit for any inquiries related to the incident.
Recent Tragedies and Crackdown on Human Trafficking
This tragedy comes shortly after another deadly boat capsizing incident near Morocco, in which over 40 Pakistanis were allegedly murdered by African human traffickers in January while attempting to enter Europe illegally. Out of the 66 on board, only 22 survived.
The increasing number of such incidents has intensified authorities’ crackdown on human trafficking networks. In recent months, over 50 officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were dismissed for their involvement in illegal immigration operations.
Additionally, FIA Director General Ahmed Ishaque Jehangir was removed from his position and reassigned as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the establishment division. Insiders suggest his removal was linked to the FIA’s failure to curb the rising human trafficking cases.
Authorities continue to investigate the latest Libya boat tragedy, while efforts are underway to identify and assist the victims.
