Islamabad, Dec 19 || At least 40 Pakistanis have lost their lives in the tragic Greece boat capsize incident, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
Initially, it was reported that the death toll of Pakistanis - who had drowned while trying to enter into Europe illegally - stood at five.
However, as the Greek authorities announced an end to their rescue efforts Wednesday, it was confirmed that 35 Pakistanis have been declared dead.
The Pakistani citizens were being illegally transferred to Europe via Libya via a human trafficking racket.
As per the details, majority of the dead belong to the Punjab province and were minors or teenagers. Most of them hailed from Sialkot, Gujrat, Mandi Bahaudin and Narowal districts.
The incident has prompted the Pakistan government to form a special task force under the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and take stern action against human traffickers in the country.
Initial investigations have revealed that the Pakistanis were issued a visa for Libya from where they were transported on boats towards Greece.