Dozens of Lebanese nationals hailing from the towns of Akkar were reported dead on Friday after a boat carrying them to Australia sank off the coast of Indonesia.
Preliminary information showed that an Iraqi national known as Abou Salah was in charge of transferring the persons to Indonesia before reaching Australia.
The victims were identified as:
The entire family of Hussein khoder who survived, while his wife Kawthar drowned, with his children: Rim, Wafaa, Rawaa, Rana, Malak, Maryam, Ali and Ahmad.
The entire family of Assaad Ali Assaad who survived, while his wife Raya drowned with his children: Tania, Maya, and Ali, in addition to Manal Ali Hamza, Mohammad Jadid, Bassam and Ibtissam Osman.
The families of the victims called on the Lebanese Foreign Ministry to contact the Lebanese embassies abroad, mainly in Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia to reveal the circumstances of the incident.
One survivor who identified himself as "Abou Ali" told LBCI that 73 persons were on board the ship, the majority of whom were Lebanese, adding that only 17 persons survived.
Abou Ali noted that 20 Lebanese children and women were lost at sea, stressing that survivors were only those who were capable of swimming.
On another note, Abou Ali said the boat that sank was not in a good condition and passengers initially refused to board, however were told they will be moved to another ship after some distance had been covered.
Abou Ali also pointed out that each passenger paid an amount of 10,000 US dollars to travel.
It is worth noting that a large number of families from Akkar have been adopting illegal means to enter the Australian territories.
For his part, caretaker Prime Minister Najb Mikati requested from the Charge d'affaires at the Indonesian embassy to follow up on the rescue case and to look out for the Lebanese citizens who survived.
He also urged the concerned authorities to follow up on the transfer of the bodies to Beirut, noting that investigations will be launched with the Indonesian authorities to reveal the circumstances of the incident.
As for Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Adnan Mansour, he followed up on the case from New York.
He also carried out contacts with the Indonesian authorities which informed him that 120 persons were on board of the boat, adding that the Indonesian authorities pulled off 45 persons from sea, among them 20 bodies and 25 survivors, 18 out of whom are Lebanese.
To watch the full LBCI report, please click on the video above.
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