Tunisia boat capsize: 15 survivors return home

Fifteen Bangladeshi migrants who survived after a boat carrying them capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tunisia, returned home today.

A flight carrying the survivors reached at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 6:00am, said Assistant Director of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, Tanveer Hossain who is posted at the Expatriates’ Welfare Desk of the airport.

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Migrant boat capsize: Bodies of 2 missing Bangladeshis recovered

Around 60 migrants, most of whom from Bangladesh, died after a boat carrying them capsized in the Mediterranean Sea after it left Libya for Italy on May 9.

The relative of one of the survivors (R in the photograph) of the Tunisia boat capsize waits for his cousin to head out of the airport after completing immigration process on May 21, 2019. Photo: Palash Khan

HOW DID THE BOAT CAPSIZE?

Survivors told the Red Crescent that the tragedy unfolded after some 75 people who had left Zuwara on the northwestern Libyan coast on a large boat were transferred to a smaller one that sank off Tunisia, reports AFP from Tunis.

The boat sank 65 km off the coast of Sfax, south of the capital Tunis. Fishing boats rescued 16 people and brought them to shore in Zarzis, according to the Red Crescent.

It said the bodies of migrants would take days to surface.

The IOM called it the deadliest migrant boat sinking since January.

According to survivors, the Italy-bound boat had on board only men, including 51 Bangladeshis, three Egyptians, several Moroccans, Chadians and other Africans.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED IN THE TRAGEDY?

From survivors Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) came to know identities of 27 Bangladeshis, who were feared dead in the capsize.

They are Nasir from Noakhali, Kamran from Tongi, Maruf and Ripon from Sylhet, Jalal Uddin and Al-Amin from Kishoreganj, Parvej and Kamrun Ahmed Maruf from Shariatpur, Shamim and Fahad from Moulvibazar, Sajib from Madaripur, Mahbub, Nadim and Mahbub from Sunamganj, Zillur Rahman, Limon Ahmed, Abdul Aziz, Ahmed, Zillur, Rafique, Ayat, Amajal, Kasim Ahmed, Khokan, Rubel, Monir and Belal.

They are mostly from Sylhet, Kishoreganj, Sunamganj and Shariatpur. Of the 14 survivors, six are from Shariatpur, he added.