Dozens of migrants killed as boat sinks off Syrian coast

Sept 24: At least 77 migrants have died after the boat they were travelling in sank off Syria's coast, the country's state-run media has reported.

Twenty survivors are being treated in a hospital in the Syrian city of Tartus.

Officials said Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian nationals - including women and children - were believed to be among the 120-150 people who were on board when the boat sank on Thursday.

It is not clear what caused the accident. A rescue attempt is ongoing.

Officials added that the vessel had departed from Minyeh, a city near the Lebanese port city of Tripoli, before it sank near the Syrian island of Arwad, close to Tartus.

The boat is believed to have been heading to Cyprus when it sank.

Tartus, where survivors have been transported, is about 30 miles (50 km) north of Tripoli. Syrian news agency Sana said authorities would transfer the bodies of unidentified victims to the border crossing to hand them over to the Lebanese Red Cross.