A boat of illegal immigrants carrying tens of people, including Syrians, sank off Tripoli, the Lebanese national news agency reported. Lebanese authorities said the body of a girl had been recovered and 45 passengers rescued.
On Sunday, the Lebanese army announced that 8 bodies had been found in the sea off the coast of Tripoli, at a time when the naval forces of the Lebanese army managed to rescue 48 people who were on board the boat that sank while trying to smuggle migrants illegally across the Mediterranean sea into Europe.
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Lebanese Transport Minister, Ali Hamieh, said the search for missing persons is still underway. He added that the boat was carrying Syrians and Lebanese, while at least nine people, including a child, were reported dead near al-Fanar island off the coast of Tripoli in northern Lebanon on Saturday.
Among the dead were a woman and three of her children, Mrs. Riham Dawalibi, and her children, Massa Sabsabi, 8 years old, Mohammed, 6 years old, and Jad, 4 years old. The father was rescued.
According to the father’s brother (Maarouf Sabsabi), “the boat sank after being hit by the Lebanese Coast Guard because the smuggler refused to respond to orders and stop. The water leaked, and with the boat’s heavyweight, it sank. ”
“Those who survived were those on the deck, most of them men. Women and children, who were in the basement, drowned within a minute.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
