At least 34 migrants have been found drowned after their boat sank off the port city of Tartous (north-west) while searches are still underway to find survivors.
“The number of people found drowned has risen to 34 and 20 people are receiving treatment at al-Basel hospital in Tartous”said Thursday, September 22 the Syrian Ministry of Health in a press release, which had previously reported 28 dead. “Oxygen support is provided to most of the victims and some of them have been transferred to the intensive care room”added the same source, stressing that all caregivers in the region are mobilized.
Syrian television reported that the boat was carrying at least 150 people before the sinking.
Of various nationalities
“According to survivors, the boat left the port of Minié, in northern Lebanon, a few days ago”, Director General of Syrian Ports Samer Kbrasli said earlier in a statement issued by the Ministry of Transport, indicating that the migrants are of various nationalities, without giving further details. Rescue teams are trying to find other survivors off Tartous, according to the press release.
Due to the serious economic crisis in which Lebanon is plunged, Syrian and Palestinian refugees, as well as Lebanese have tried in recent months to cross the Mediterranean in makeshift boats to reach European countries, in particular the island of Cyprus, located 175 kilometers from the Lebanese coast.
In April, the sinking of an overloaded migrant boat, chased by the Lebanese navy off Tripoli (north) had killed six people and provoked great anger in the country in crisis. According to the UN, at least 38 boats carrying more than 1,500 people have illegally left or attempted to leave Lebanon by sea since 2020.