82 dead Pakistani victims had been identified, according to interior minister Rana Sanaullah, who gave an update on the Greek shipwreck tragedy on Friday, adding that Nadra had collected the victims’ specimens and was currently carrying out the identification procedure.
Last week, an Italy-bound fishing trawler reportedly carrying at least 800 people — including hundreds of Pakistanis — capsized off Greece. Only 104 people are known to have survived and the chance of finding more survivors was seen as virtually nil.
Speaking in the National Assembly, he said the identification process of the Pakistanis was underway with the help of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).
“The boat’s capacity was about 400 passengers, but there were around 700 onboard,” he said. “Among these, the number of Pakistani passengers on board was nearly 350 as per our information.”
Earlier it was reported that 12 of those who survived were Pakistani.
“The number could escalate dramatically. It’s possible that it could exceed any other disaster or act of terror,” he added.
Witness accounts suggested that between 400 and 750 people had crammed onto the 20- to 30 metre-long (65- to 100-foot) fishing boat which then capsized and sank early on June 14 about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern coastal town of Pylos, according to Reuters.
