Seven people confirmed dead as migrant boat from Syria capsizes off coast of Cyprus

A boat with a reported 21 people aboard capsized off the coast of Cyprus on Monday, with seven people having been confirmed as dead so far.

The boat was reportedly located around 30 miles off the coast of Cape Greco.

Two people have thus far been rescued from the sea, with it currently believed that there were initially 21 on board.

One survivor reportedly said that all 21 on board are Syrian nationals who had left the country’s Mediterranean port city of Tartus.

The joint rescue coordination centre (JRCC) has launched a search and rescue mission to locate those who are thus far unaccounted for, with Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas and Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis having travelled to the JRCC building in Larnaca shortly before 6pm.

The two ministers called a press conference later in the evening, confirming that the two survivors and seven dead found thus far are all Syrian nationals, and that search and rescue operations would continue into the night.

They added that given the developing political situation in Syria, coastguard patrols off Cyprus’ eastern coast have increased in recent days.

In a later statement, the JRCC said it had scrambled one warship, two helicopters, one of which belongs to the police, one drone, four port police vessels, as well as ambulance and police personnel to take part in the rescue mission.

It also confirmed that the boat had capsized outside Cyprus’ territorial waters but within the search and rescue area which falls under the Republic of Cyprus’ responsibility.

The capsize of a migrant boat off the coast of Cyprus after a lull in such arrivals in recent months comes as violence re-erupts in Syria’s coastal cities between their Alawite and Sunni Muslim populations.

The British-based Syrian observatory for human rights reported that more than 180 people had been killed in the first two days after fighting broke out on March 6, while Syria’s Sana news agency reported that “remnants of the fallen regime have launched an attack on the national hospital in Latakia.

Meanwhile, state television reported that clashes had also broken out near the city’s Ibn Sina hospital, while the country’s health ministry said attacks had resulted in civilian casualties in both Latakia and the city of Tartus, from whence the boat which capsized off Cape Greco on Monday reportedly set sail.

Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria fell in December last year, with Assad himself fleeing to Russia as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group swiftly took over the country’s major cities.

Boats carrying irregular migrants had arrived in Cyprus in great numbers during the early part of last year, with many carrying Syrian nationals who had travelled to Lebanon by land and set sail from there.

Earlier this month, it was reported that around 1,200 Syrian nationals in Cyprus had withdrawn their asylum applications with a view to returning to their country of origin.

Cyprus Mail