No less than six people died after a boat capsized off the Lebanese coast of Tripoli overnight, Lebanese Transport Minister, Ali Hamie, told Reuters.

The small dinghy carrying around 60 people sank off the coast on Saturday night with both Lebanese and Syrians aboard.

Mr Hamie said that a young girl’s body was retrieved on Saturday night and that the army had recovered another five on Sunday morning.

“The Lebanese military saved at least 47 people, but we don’t know how many more are missing because we don’t know the total number of those aboard,’’ said Mr Hamie.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced a national day of mourning on Monday.

Lebanon’s economic crisis has seen the local currency lose more than 90 per cent of its value and pushed waves of Lebanese as well as Syrian refugees to try the dangerous sea journey to Europe on small dinghies.

Lebanese citizen Kassem al-Zoeibi, whose relatives survived the accident, said they had tried to flee Lebanon out of desperation.

“Why did they choose this way? It is because there is no way but this way,’’ he told Reuters.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Najat Rochdi, expressed her condolences on Sunday and said UN agencies were on the ground to help.

(Reuters/NAN)