Panama City: At least 40 migrants died and several others were injured after a boat they were travelling in caught fire off northern Haiti, a UN spokesman said on Friday.
Forty-one surviving migrants on board were rescued by the Haitian Coast Guard and are currently receiving medical care, food, water and psychosocial support, the IOM said in a statement.
Eleven migrants were taken to the nearest hospital for treatment, the statement added.
"This devastating event highlights the risks faced by children, women and men who migrate through irregular routes, demonstrating the crucial need for safe and legal pathways for migration," said Gregoire Goodstein, IOM's chief of mission in Haiti. (with Agency inputs)
