Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Lebanon sank migrant boat, survivors say
TRIPOLI, Lebanon — Survivors of the destruction of a migrant boat blamed the Lebanese navy on Sunday for sinking it, saying a naval vessel rammed the packed ship while trying to force it back to shore.
Meanwhile the death toll of Saturday night’s disaster rose to seven, with state media reporting the recovery of a body of a man from Tripoli. The incident was the latest in a growing trend involving mostly Lebanese and Syrians trying to travel to Europe from Lebanon.
Survivor Mustafa al-Jundi told The Associated Press that the navy tried to stop the migrant boat but it kept sailing.
“They rammed into us and made us sink, then moved away,” said al-Jundi, whose two sisters are still missing. He said the Lebanese military returned about 90 minutes later and rescued them.
Angry residents attacked a main army checkpoint in Tripoli earlier in the day, throwing stones at troops who responded by firing into the air. There were no reports of injuries.
The Lebanese military announced that 47 people were rescued, while seven bodies including one of a young girl had been recovered. They said high waves had submerged the boat, which was carrying more people than it could hold.
Col. Haitham Dinnawi, commander of the Lebanese navy, told reporters the old boat had been packed with nearly 60 people, but could only carry six. No precautionary measures were taken onboard, he added, and no one was wearing life vests.
Dinnawi blamed the captain of the migrant boat for maneuvering to avoid being forced to return back to shore, and blamed him for the collision. He showed photographs of the damage on the side and back of one navy boat, adding that the migrant boat sank within seconds after the accident.
“It was a crime to take people on such a boat,” Dinnawi said, adding that it was manufactured in 1974 and carrying 15 times its capacity. He said search operations are still ongoing for the missing.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati declared a day of national mourning today.
“It is appalling to see deprivation still drives people to take these dangerous trips across the seas,” tweeted Lebanon’s U.N. humanitarian coordinator, Najat Rochdi.
TUNISIANS RESCUE MIGRANTS
At least 12 Africans trying to reach Europe by boat have died and 10 others are missing after four migrant boats carrying an estimated 120 people sank after setting out across the Mediterranean, Tunisian maritime officials said Sunday.
The Tunisian navy rescued 98 people out of 120 believed to be on the boats, said Ali Ayari, spokesman for the Tunisian National Guard in the coastal region of Sfax.
The boats had been en route to Italy, Ayari said. The nationalities of those aboard were unclear, although Tunisian authorities said the migrants were from sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite rough weather, migration attempts have multiplied lately from both the Tunisian and Libyan coasts.
The central Mediterranean, which connects Libya and the Maghreb countries to Italy or Malta, is the most dangerous migration route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration. The U.N. agency estimates that more than 1,500 people died or went missing in the area in 2021 and more than 500 so far in 2022.