Safwan Family Survivors Return Home as 7 Relatives Laid to Rest
Two members of the Safwan family who have survived a near-drowning incident off the Turkish coast in an illegal migration attempt arrived at the airport at midnight, the state-run National News Agency said on Thursday.
Maher and Moussa Safwan, 18 and 23, arrived at the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Thursday at midnight on board the Turkish Airlines, NNA added.
Later on Thursday, seven victims from the family were laid to rest in the Beirut southern suburb of Ouzai.
Efforts continue to find two more members of the family, Wael and Malek, who are still reportedly missing, while Iyad Safwan is still being interrogated by Turkish authorities.
On Wednesday, a Turkish Airlines plane landed at Beirut's airport, carrying the bodies of seven Safwan family members who drowned Saturday while trying to reach Europe illegally from Turkey.
The seven were identified as Fayez, Mariam, Milani, Maya, Leen, Mustafa, and Houriya.
Reports have said that a ship transporting Lebanese and Syrian migrants to Europe departs the port of the northern city of Tripoli on a daily basis.
The Lebanese are mainly residents of the North.
Once in Turkey, the migrants make their way to Europe, unnamed sources said.
Lebanese migrants from the North have exceeded 2,000, while this number tops 4,500 when departures from Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport are included.
D.A./Y.R.
Source: Naharnet
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