"Please don't choose this journey," survivors warn after Greece boat disaster

Survivors of the recent boat disaster near the Greek island of Gavdos, south of Crete, recalled the harrowing ordeal, they described being stranded in the turbulent waters for over an hour, having lost all their belongings in the tragedy.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that the death toll of Pakistanis in the incident has risen to four.

Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated that the Pakistani mission in Athens is in touch with Greek authorities to assist the survivors and repatriate the bodies of the deceased.

Out of the rescued individuals, 47 were identified as Pakistanis.

One survivor recounted that the boat, carrying approximately 84 passengers, was ill-equipped for the rough sea conditions. “The waves were very strong, and the boat collided with a cargo ship before capsizing,” he said.

Another survivor added, “We lost everything. Our clothes, shoes, and even our phones, making it impossible to contact our families.”

He praised Greek authorities for their swift rescue efforts and for providing the survivors with clothes and essentials.

The survivors, visibly shaken, issued a heartfelt plea to others, warning against choosing such perilous means to enter another country. “Please don't choose this journey,” they implored, urging authorities to connect them with their families back home.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Sunday, stated that Pakistani authorities are closely coordinating with their Greek counterparts.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was directly overseeing the situation, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was  tasked with submitting an inquiry report.

PM Shehbaz directed strict action against human traffickers involved in this incident.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi formed a committee, led by the Additional Secretary Home, to investigate the incident and submit its findings within five days.

He further instructed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to launch nationwide operations to dismantle human trafficking networks.

The Foreign Office has released the names of the 47 Pakistani survivors. The list includes:

Umer Farooq, Muhammad Ahmad Shahzad, Mohsan Riaz, Talha, Raja Sajid, Raja Omar Nasir, Mehtab Rafaqat, Amir Habib, Muhammad Safdar, Nayyab Ahmed, Nadeem Ahmed, Umair Ahsan, Muhammad Bilal, Rahat Dilawar, Manzar Ali, Ahmed Mukhtar, Haroon Asghar, Muzamil Hussain, Jamshaid Ali, Jaffar Iqbal, Muhammad Majid, Muhammad Salman, Qasim Ali, Muhammad Abdullah, Osama Ali, Husnain Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Hammad, Hassan Ali, Bilal Hussain, Sarmad Akbar, Usman Ahmad, Shoaib Mushtaq, Abdul Hanan, Ali Hamza, Fahad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Abdul Latif Rehman, Salman Khalid, Harmain Ali, Zain Ali, Usama Basharat, Mirza Kamran, Muhammad Waqas, Syfyan Zulfiqar, Tahir Raza, Shahroz Ali, and Shahzeel Ahmad.