Pakistan says 350 of its citizens were on board ship that sank off Greek coast

At least 350 Pakistanis were on an overloaded fishing trawler that capsized and sank off the coast of Greece last week, Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Friday.

Smugglers managed to shove more than 700 people aboard the vessel, which was designed for several crew members and a couple of dozen tons of fish, he told the country’s parliament, adding that a total of 281 Pakistani families have turned to the government for help. The Minister stated in Parliament:

“Perhaps there has never been such a large number of casualties in the history of Pakistan, even as a result of terrorist attacks. To date, 281 Pakistani families have contacted us to report that their children may have been victims of the accident.”

Among the 104 rescued, 12 are Pakistanis. But, according to the minister, “there were approximately 350 Pakistanis on board the boat.” 193 Pakistani families have been DNA tested to find those who died or went missing in last week’s shipwreck off the coast of Pylos, considered one of the deadliest disasters in Europe in recent years.

[Reuters]

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