A Lebanese Navy official said at least six people, including a girl, had died; 45 survivors were rescued. Some of those on board the ship are still listed as missing, the official added.
Reuters reported that the boat had both Lebanese and Syrians on board.
Colonel Haitham Dannawi, commander of the Lebanese Army’s Naval Forces, told a news conference that the boat only had room for six people, although there were dozens on board at the time of the accident.
“The boat was very old and could only hold six people, there were no life jackets or other rescue tools,” Colonel Dannawi said. “We tried to stop them from leaving, but they were faster than us. We tried to explain to them that the boat was about to sink.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has declared an official day of mourning for the victims.
Lebanese national Kassem al-Zoeibi, whose relatives survived the capsizing, said they tried to flee the country out of desperation. “Why did you choose this path? There is no other way than this way,” he told Reuters.
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Najat Rochdi, expressed her condolences on Sunday and said UN agencies are on the ground to help. “It is terrible to see how deprivation still drives people to undertake a dangerous journey across the seas and sacrifice their lives and those of their children in search of a dignified life,” Rochdi said posted on Twitter.
In the past three years, Lebanon has faced a severe financial crisis. According to the World Bank, the Lebanese currency has lost more than 90% of its value and the majority of the Lebanese population now lives below the poverty line.