During the journey to Cyprus, a migrant child died: parents threw the body overboard

The Larnaca police are investigating the death of a child on a boat with illegal migrants heading to Cyprus. Parents of Syrian origin admitted to throwing the six-year-old boy into the sea: he died of hunger and dehydration.

As reported to the Cypriot news agency by police representative Christos Andreou, the tragedy occurred in February during the passage of a boat with illegal migrants from Syria.

On February 29, coastal and maritime police radars detected a vessel 58 nautical miles off Larnaca, carrying a total of 36 illegal immigrants on board. On that day, there was a strong storm at sea. The coast guard intercepted the vessel and brought them to a safe place on land.

During the registration process, a family with four children was identified, but only three children were found on board.

When asked where the fourth child was, the father told the police that his six-year-old child had died of hunger and harsh conditions two days before the boat was found. He threw his child's body into the sea.

According to available information, the boat with migrants was heading from Syria. Along the way, the illegal immigrants ran out of food and fuel, and the boat encountered a strong storm.

In addition, according to the migrants' accounts, three more people aboard jumped into the sea and attempted to swim to the shore to seek help. Their search has not yielded results yet.

Two more migrants are currently hospitalized at the Nicosia General Hospital, one of them in critical condition with hypernatremia after drinking seawater.

The remaining arriving migrants were transferred to the Pournara reception center in Kokkinotrimithia.

It is also noted that a 22-year-old boatman has been arrested for aiding in the passage of illegal migrants into the territory of the republic. He is charged with murder and manslaughter by negligence. The detained young man has already appeared before the Larnaca District Court, which remanded him in custody for eight days.