Syrian official says 73 dead after migrant boat sinks

By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s health minister says at least 73 people have been killed from a boat that sank migrants from Lebanon off Syria’s coast. Hassan Mohammed Ghabbash was quoted by state TV Friday as saying that death toll from the boat sank in Syrian waters is not final. Thousands of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians have left Lebanon on boats over the past months seeking better opportunities in Europe. Lebanon has a population of 6 million, including 1 million Syrian refugees, and has been in the grips of a severe economic meltdown since late 2019. More than three-quarters of people in Lebanon have been pulled into poverty.