Four more people from Punjab confirmed dead in Greece boat tragedy

ISLAMABAD: Officials have confirmed the death of four more people from Sarai Alamgir of Pakistan's Punjab in the Greece boat tragedy, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. The deceased people were identified as Shabbir Ahmed, Shoaib Baig, Asad Baig, and Mirza Mubeen. As per the news report, the deceased people were friends. Furthermore, more than 12 missing people were from Sialkot.

Notably, the boat carrying an estimated 750 people, primarily from Pakistan, Syria, and Egypt, capsized on June 14.

Of the total passengers, 104 managed to survive while the bodies of 82 victims have been recovered, ARY News reported. On June 30, Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that there were at least Pakistani victims in the bot that capsized and sank in open seas off Greece last week, according to ARY News report.

He further said that so far 82 bodies of those aboard the boat have been recovered and their identification process is being conducted with the help of forensic and NADRA data. Sanaullah made the remarks at the National Assembly. Last week, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) arrested two more human smugglers in connection with the Greece Boat incident, according to ARY News.

Tariq Masood, Deputy Director of FIA said that they have arrested two agents in Mandi Bahauddin who sent five people to Greece and charged Rs 2.2 million from them. The smugglers have been identified as Mauzam Riaz and Adnan Anwar, as per ARY News. So far, 16 human smugglers have been arrested in relation to the Greece Boat tragedy, the official added.

The FIA has lodged human smuggling and money laundering cases against Riaz and Anwar and further investigation is being carried out, reported ARY News. Earlier, FIA Deputy Director Masood said that human traffickers residing in foreign countries would be bought to Pakistan via Interpol.