At least 281 families knock Pakistani government over Greek boat tragedy

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – At least 281 families have reached the Pakistani government over the Greek boat tragedy last week, the nation’s interior minister told the parliament on Friday.

“82 deceased Pakistani victims had been recovered” after they lost their lives in the tragic boat accident off the coast of Greece on June 14, Rana Sanaullah said.

Expressing concern that relatives of 281 families “may have been caught up in this incident,” Sanaullah feared “the toll in the incident may escalate dramatically.”

The 30-meter-long fishing boat capsized and sank early on June 14 about 50 miles from Greece’s southern coastal town of Pylos, which carried around 700 people on board, including Pakistanis, Syrians, and Libyans.

The Pakistani minister said the “boat’s capacity was about 400 passengers, but there were around 700 onboard.”

“Among these, the number of Pakistani passengers on board – as per the information that we have received so far – is approximately 350,” he added.

To identify the Pakistani citizens, according to Dawn News, Sanaullah said 193 DNA samples have been taken from their families across Pakistan.