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Today's Paper | January 10, 2025

Published 25 Aug, 2008 12:00am

Container deaths: 4 bodies to arrive on 27th

GUJRAT, Aug 24: The bodies of four victims of lorry container deaths will be flown from Turkey to Islamabad on Aug 27 for burial in their native towns in Dinga in Gujrat and Jaithikey in Sambrial.

The victims include two teenage cousins, Bilal, 15, and Tayyab, 16, Muhammad Tanveer, 20, and Nasir Mehmood Mughal, 35, who were found dead in the container near Turkish-Greek border early this month.

Also, the body of another victim, Shahbaz Ahmed, of Khaliqueabad in Mandi Bahauddin district, was flown from Turkey to Islamabad on Saturday and was later buried in Khaliqueabad the same day.

Over a dozen illegal immigrants, all from Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Gujranwala districts, were found dead in the container which was supposed to take them to Greece illegally.

Bilal and Tayyab also left home for Greece via Iran and Turkey last month through an unidentified travel agent. Chaudhry Rasheed, the grandfather of both deceased, said that Bilal and Tayyab had left for the greener pastures without informing the family. A large number of people from the village is settled in Greece. He said that family did not provide finances to the boys for traveling expenses and that’s why he did not have any knowledge about the travel agent. He said he came to know about the sad demise of his grandchildren through newspapers.

Tanveer and the two cousins left their homes separately as they had their separate arrangements to reach Greece. The three met each other in Turkey and died in the container.

Dinga-based journalist Hanif Tahir said that a big number of human traffickers was operating in Kharian but the authorities never took any action against them.

FATAL RIDE: Three motorcyclists were run over by a truck near Dhuma Malka, Karianwala police precinct.

Sikandar Shah, Ilyas and Basheer Ahmed were traveling on the motorcycle which was hit by the rashly-driven truck. Ilyas died instantly while Basheer and Sikandar succumbed to their injuries at Aziz Bhatti Shaheed hospital. The truck driver fled from the scene.

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