At least six Pakistani youth from Pindi Bhattian lost their lives after a boat carrying migrants capsized near the coast of Libya, with reports suggesting that a total of 73 people were killed in the accident, it was reported on Monday.
According to the TV channel report, the deceased youths belonged to nearby villages of Pindi Bhattian, including Kot Nizam, Bagh Kehna, Bagh Nau, Chohdu Khuniyan and Tahli Goraiya.
The tragic news plunged the entire region into grief, with mourning scenes reported at the victims’ homes.
According to sources, the victims had left Pakistan a few months ago in pursuit of a better future, attempting to reach Europe through illegal means commonly known as “Dunki”.
The accident occurred when their boat capsized near the Libyan coast, leading to a massive loss of life.
As the news broke, devastated families were left in shock and sorrow, while the atmosphere across the region turned sombre.
Residents have urged the government to take strict and effective action against human trafficking networks responsible for exploiting desperate migrants.
Earlier, the International Organization for Migration had also reported a similar tragedy in February this year, when dozens of migrants were killed or went missing after a boat capsized off the Libyan coast.
The UN migration agency said 53 people were dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast. Only two survivors were rescued.
The International Organization for Migration said the boat overturned north of Zuwara on Friday.
“Only two Nigerian women were rescued during a search-and-rescue operation by Libyan authorities,” the IOM said in a statement, adding that one of the survivors said she lost her husband and the other said “she lost her two babies in the tragedy”.
The IOM said its teams provided the two survivors with emergency medical care upon disembarkation.
“According to survivor accounts, the boat — carrying migrants and refugees of African nationalities – departed from Al-Zawiya, Libya, at around 11:00 pm on February 5. Approximately six hours later, it capsized after taking on water,” the agency said.
“IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route.”
The Geneva-based agency said trafficking and smuggling networks were exploiting migrants along the route from north Africa to southern Europe, profiting from dangerous crossings in unseaworthy boats while exposing people to “severe abuse”.
It called for stronger international cooperation to tackle the networks, alongside safe and regular migration pathways to reduce risks and save lives.
