ATHENS – Egyptian Ambassador in Athens Omar Amer said on Wednesday the embassy has been holding contacts with bodies concerned in Egypt over the past days to facilitate performing DNA tests to families of illegal immigrants who drowned in Athens to help identify the victims and bring their bodies safe home for burial.
Some 17 young men from Beheira governorate drowned on an illegal immigration boat heading to Greece on Friday.
In a press release, the embassy said families of the victims (only the father and mother) can go the Forensic Agency in Cairo on Thursday to make DNA test so that the results can be sent to the Egyptian embassy in Athens which will notify the Greek authorities to release the bodies and send them home.
The embassy said it is holding necessary contacts with the Athens authorities to make sure that bodies will be sent once they are identified.
The embassy offered deepest condolences to victims of the families over the loss of their sons in this tragic incident.
