Off the shore of Tartus laid the lifeless bodies of 34 migrants (and counting), the Syrian government reported, revealing that at least 14 of the displaced were rescued. 

Initially, Syrian ports head Samer Kbrasli, in a statement, said that "Fifteen people were found dead, (and) eight survivors were taken to Al-Basel hospital in Tartus."

"According to survivors, their boat left Lebanon days ago," Kbrasli said, adding that the migrants were of various nationalities. 

#Syria #Liban A #Lebanese boat sank off the #Syrian coast of #Tartus: it had more than 100 people of different nationalities on board, most of them Lebanese. 20 victims were recovered, including two women and 3 children. Nobody helps the #Arab #refugees pic.twitter.com/1QHuh2SenE

— Donato Yaakov Secchi (@doyaksec) September 22, 2022

Rescue teams were working in several areas on the Tartus coast, including around Arwad, an island in the coastal vicinity, according to Kbrasli.

Syrian fishermen also offered help, sailing off the coast to retrieve the boat - however, there was no details provided regarding the incident.

According to a statement published by the Syrian transport ministry, the information collected from survivors suggested that the boat sailed from Miniyeh, a coastal city in northern Lebanon, 50 kilometers from Tartus.

Since the economic crisis which has ruined the livelihoods of many Lebanese, migrants have been sailing off Tripoli, Lebanon, whose closest neighbor is European Union member Cyprus. Many of those escaping Lebanon are Syrian peoples. 

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In April, a child died and 48 people were rescued after a boat carrying around 60 migrants sank off Lebanon, where deadly sea crossings have spiraled. 

He confirmed that around 60 people were on the vessel carrying illegal migrants out of Lebanon.

Lebanon, a country of around six million people, is grappling with an unprecedented financial crisis that the World Bank says is on a scale usually associated with wars.

The currency has lost more than 90% of its purchasing power and the majority of the population lives below the poverty line.

According to the UN refugee agency, at least 1,570 people, 186 of them Lebanese, left or tried to leave illegally by sea from Lebanon between January and November 2021. Most were hoping to reach Cyprus, an island 175 kilometers away.