More than 20 people rescued after boat sinks off Tripoli's coast

BEIRUT — The Lebanese Army, in cooperation with the Civil Defense, rescued on Tuesday all 22 people on board a boat that sank off the coast of Tripoli at dawn, according to our correspondent in the North, Michel Hallak. Those who were rescued were being smuggled in an irregular crossing attempt, according to a Lebanese Army statement.

The boat, which departed from somewhere around Minieh or Akkar, sank approximately three kilometers off the coast of Tripoli.

According to our correspondent, most of them Syrian nationals, and the rest were Lebanese. They were reported to be in stable condition, while some sustained minor injuries and burns after the boat caught fire and sank.

During the search operations, the Lebanese Army deployed a military helicopter. Several Lebanese Red Cross teams arrived at the port of Tripoli, where the survivors were being brought ashore.

"Personnel from the Civil Defense’s Maritime Rescue Unit, in cooperation with the Lebanese Army’s Naval Forces, Air Force and Marine Commando Regiment, as well as a number of fishermen, carried out a search and rescue operation off the coast of Tripoli to rescue 22 people who were aboard a boat," the Civil Defense stated on Tuesday evening.

"The operation resulted in the rescue of four people who were wearing life jackets, while another person was rescued from the sea without a life jacket. Meanwhile, 17 people managed to reach the island," it added, without clarifying which island it was referring to. There are several islands off the coast of Tripoli, the most famous of which is Palm Island, also known as Rabbit Island.

At the end of August, State Security thwarted the departure of 25 Syrians attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Dinnieh. This was the only foiled crossing attempt that has been publicly announced since the beginning of the season, although there is usually an increase in this type of trafficking in summer. More of these boats usually head toward the Cypriot coast, the most accessible gateway to the Schengen area from Lebanon.

Additional reporting contributed by Michel Hallak.