TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Archyde.com) – The Lebanese army found another body in the sinking of a migrant boat in the sea off the coast of northern Lebanon overnight, a port official told Archyde.com on Monday, bringing the death toll to seven as rescue efforts continued.
Late on Saturday, a small boat carrying regarding 60 people sank off the coast near the port city of Tripoli. Authorities say more than 45 have already been rescued.
Ahmed Tamer, head of Tripoli port, told Archyde.com that search operations are continuing.
Tamer said that rescue operations continued throughout the night and the army managed to find the body of a woman, bringing the total number of victims to seven.
He added that those on board the boat were Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians. The military said the boat capsized because it was overloaded.
The economic crisis in Lebanon caused the local currency to lose more than 90 percent of its value and prompted waves of Lebanese and Syrian refugees to try to travel to Europe on small boats.
Over the weekend, relatives of the victims gathered outside hospitals in Tripoli, where the wounded were being treated.
A few men waited outside the port on Monday morning, hoping to find their missing loved ones.
