A boat carrying migrants from Lebanon capsized off Syria's coast Thursday afternoon leaving at least 34 people dead, Syrian state media reported.
Syria's state television quoted the Syrian Health Ministry as saying that at least 34 people died in the incident, and 20 survivors are being treated at the Al-Basel Hospital in the coastal city of Tartus. Most of the migrants are Lebanese and Syrians, and some without identification papers.
State media quoted one survivor as saying the boat carried over 150 people, which would leave over 100 migrants still missing at sea.
Tartus Governor Abdulhalim Khalil has reportedly visited the 20 survivors at the hospital.
The survivors said they sailed from the Lebanese coastal town of Minyeh several days ago apparently aiming to reach Europe. It said the boat was carrying people of different nationalities.
Thousands of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians have left Lebanon on boats over the past months seeking better opportunities in Europe.
The Lebanese army on Wednesday said it had rescued 55 people on board one malfunctioning boat in the country's territorial waters that it towed back to shore.
