Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriates said on Wednesday that it was closely following the repercussions of the sinking of a migrant boat off the Greek coast carrying about 77 people of various nationalities, including Egyptian citizens.
Minister Badr Abdelatty instructed Egypt’s Embassy in Athens to co-ordinate closely with Greek authorities to assess the consequences of the incident and take the necessary steps to repatriate the remains of any Egyptian victims.
Preliminary information indicated that one Egyptian citizen had been found dead and 51 people rescued, including 16 Egyptians, the ministry said. Search-and-rescue operations were continuing for about 25 people still missing.
The Egyptian Embassy in Athens was maintaining high-level contact with the relevant Greek authorities to monitor rescue efforts, identify victims and provide assistance, the ministry said.
Egypt urged its citizens to comply with laws governing entry into foreign countries and warned against irregular migration, saying such journeys expose lives to serious risks. It also called on families to raise awareness of the dangers of these trips.
