PARACHINAR: The bodies of 12 out of at least 16 Pakistanis who died this month when a boat carrying dozens of Europe-bound migrants sank off Libya’s coast have been repatriated to Pakistan, officials said Friday.
Most of the victims who died in the capsizing were from Kurram, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The boat was carrying more than 60 Pakistani nationals, and out of them 37 people were rescued, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Ten people remained unaccounted for.
Ashfaq Ahmed, a government administrator, said nine of the 12 bodies were sent to Kurram by helicopters on Thursday and Friday. He said the bodies of the four remaining victims will be brought home soon.
Libya, which shares borders with six nations and has a long coastline along the Mediterranean, is a main transit point for migrants escaping war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East to seek better lives in Europe.
Every year, hundreds of Pakistanis die while attempting to reach Europe via perilous land and sea routes, often facilitated by human smugglers. In January, authorities said dozens of Pakistanis died when a boat capsized off West Africa.
Bodies of 12 Pakistani migrants who died in boat sinking have been repatriated
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Bodies of 12 Pakistani migrants who died in boat sinking have been repatriated
- The boat was carrying Europe-bound migrants with more than 60 Pakistani nationals
- Officials say 37 Pakistani were rescued while 16 died and 10 remain unaccounted for
Met Office refutes reports of ‘extreme cold weather’ in Pakistan from Jan. 16-25
- Temperatures to remain within normal range with no indication of record-breaking conditions, weather agency says
- Pakistan has been witnessing a cold spell, with freezing temperatures in the north and chilly, foggy nights in the south
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday dismissed reports of “extreme cold weather” in the country from Jan. 16 till Jan. 25, saying temperatures were expected to remain within the normal range.
Reports circulating on social media claimed that extremely cold weather would return to Pakistan for the first time in almost a century, bringing “sub-zero temperatures” to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.
Without citing any official data or forecasts, the reports claimed temperatures in the federal capital of Islamabad and Rawalpindi could drop to -5°C, while they may drop to -15°C in Murree, -4°C in Lahore, -25°C in Quetta and -2°C in Hyderabad.
“The Pakistan Meteorological Department categorically refutes these claims and clarifies that no such extreme or historic cold wave is expected during the mentioned period,” it said in a statement.
There has been no indication of widespread or persistent record-breaking cold conditions, based on the latest analysis of numerical weather prediction models and observational data, according to the PMD.
The Met Office advised the public to rely solely on official forecasts, warnings and adviseries issued by the national weather agency and to avoid sharing unverified information that may cause concern.
Pakistan has been witnessing a cold spell, with northern and hilly areas experiencing freezing temperatures, while the country’s plains and southern cities have faced chilly nights and foggy mornings.
