Lebanese soldiers monitoring search operations for the victims of the April 23 sinking, Aug. 22, 2022. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Families of the dozens of people who died when their smuggler boat sank off the northern Lebanese coast in April are calling for a “transparent international investigation” into the incident, which survivors claim had been caused by an intercepting Lebanese Army vessel, a lawyer representing some of the families told L’Orient Today on Monday.
Here’s what we know:
• Lawyer Mohamed Sablouh, who is representing some family members of the roughly 40 people who died in the wreck while taking an informal route to Europe, added that searchers have found 11 bodies so far in a submarine search operation off the coast of Tripoli. However, searchers could not remove the bodies from the sea. Some 30 of the 40 victims had remained missing prior to the submarine search.
• Survivors of the April shipwreck have claimed the vessel sank after a Lebanese Army boat intercepted it. However, the Lebanese Army stated that the boat was overloaded with passengers, estimated at around 85, which caused it to sink.
• During a press conference on Friday in Tripoli, the captain of the submarine, Scott Walters, said that the submarine crew had observed that the sunken boat was intact, except at the front where they found signs of damage.