Boat full of Pakistanis going to Spain capsized in the sea near Morocco, 40 people drowned

Islamabad: A major accident has occurred in the sea near Morocco, where a boat trying to reach Spain with 80 migrants capsized in the sea. In which more than 40 Pakistanis are reported to have been killed. Migrant rights group 'Walking Borders' said on Thursday that the number of migrants who drowned could be 50. Moroccan authorities had a day earlier rescued 36 people from a boat that had departed from Mauritania on January 2 carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis.

'Walking Borders' Chief Executive Officer Helena Maleno said on Twitter that 44 of those who drowned could be from Pakistan. Maleno said the migrants spent 13 days in agony and no one came to rescue them. Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday night that the Pakistani Embassy in Morocco is in touch with local authorities.

Pakistan said that our Embassy in Rabat (Morocco) has informed us that a boat carrying 80 passengers, including several Pakistani nationals, capsized near Dakhla port in Morocco while leaving from Mauritania. Many survivors, including Pakistanis, are being held in a camp near Dakhla.

The Foreign Office said that a team from the Embassy has been sent to Dakhla to provide necessary assistance to Pakistani citizens and the Crisis Management Unit in the Ministry of External Affairs has been activated. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar directed the concerned government agencies to provide all possible help to the affected Pakistanis. President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement called for far-reaching and effective steps to stop human trafficking.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sought a report on the incident from authorities and said strict action would be taken against those involved in the despicable act of human trafficking. Hundreds of Pakistani migrants die every year while attempting to enter Europe through dangerous land and sea routes with the help of human smugglers. Five Pakistani nationals were killed and 35 others were presumed dead when a boat carrying over 200 illegal immigrants sank near Greece's Gavdos island in December last year. In 2023, 262 Pakistani citizens were killed in a similar incident in the same area.