71 bodies of migrants found after boat sinks off Syrian coast (photos)

The bodies of 71 migrants have been found after a boat they were traveling in sank off the Syrian coast on Thursday (September 22nd), while 20 survivors are being treated, the Syrian health minister said.

Officials in the Syrian city of Tartous said Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian nationals, including women and children, were among the 120 to 150 people on board when the boat sank on Thursday.

Officials added that the vessel had left Minyeh, a town near the Lebanese port city of Tripoli and was heading for Europe when it sank.

The cause of the crash is unclear and the Department of Health said a rescue attempt was underway.

Tartous, where survivors were taken, is about 50 km north of Tripoli, according to reports.

Lebanon hosts around 1.5 million Syrian refugees and nearly 14,000 from other countries, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It hosts the highest number of refugees per capita in the world.