Boat capsizes with 28 aboard
2007-12-27 11:03
Havana - A boat carrying 28 Cubans trying to reach Miami overturned off the north coast of Cuba, and only three passengers were said to have survived, the relative of a victim said.
Ysleidys Vera said: "There were 28 people in the motorboat and it overturned. Almost all of them died, including the son of my cousin. They brought him and we are mourning him here.
"The information that we have is that there are three survivors."
Cuban authorities had not announced the incident, which reportedly took place in the predawn hours of December 21, after the boat set sail from the coastal town of Santa Cruz del Norte near Havana late on December 20.
Relatives cited by El Nuevo Herald, a Miami newspaper, said the boat overturned, as it was being chased by the Cuban coast guard and struck a reef.
A preliminary account of the incident by the United States Interests Section in Cuba said 11 people were rescued and two died, the US Coast Guard said.
Petty Officer Jennifer Johnson said: "We have information about the case. It was given to us by the Interests Section in Cuba. They alerted us earlier this morning.
"They told us it was inside Cuban territory seas, there were 11 people recovered and two deceased. So we are working closely with the US Interests Section to determine if there needs to be a search in international waters.
"That's the only information that they have. There are still an unknown number of people that could be missing."