Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Boat carrying Haitian migrants sinks off Bahamas, killing 17

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A boat carrying Haitian migrants apparently capsized off the Bahamas early Sunday, and Bahamian security forces recovered the bodies of 17 people and rescued 25 others, authorities said.

It wasn't clear if there were any people missing after the boat sank about seven miles from New Providence.

Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said in a statement that the dead included 15 women, one man and an infant. He said the people rescued were taken for observation by health workers.

Davis said investigators had determined that a twin-engine speed boat left the Bahamas about 1 a.m. carrying as many as 60 people, apparently bound for Miami.

He said a criminal investigation had begun into the suspected human smuggling operation.

“I would like to convey the condolences of my government and the people of the Bahamas to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy,” Davis said. “My government, from the time it came to office, has warned against these treacherous voyages.”

Haiti is struggling with a wave of gang-related violence including sharp rises in killings and kidnappings, prodding a growing number of people to flee the country of more than 11 million in search of a better and safer life.

Several sinkings involving migrants have occurred in the Caribbean this year, including one in May in which 11 people were confirmed dead and 38 were saved off Puerto Rico. Another incident in January saw one man rescued and another confirmed dead after a boat carrying 40 migrants went down off Florida, with the missing never found.

Governments in the region, including the United States, have reported a surge in the number of Haitians detained trying to enter other countries.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.