Boat disaster hits Haiti
04/05/2007 19:09  - (SA)  

Boat capsizes, 8 killed Boat capsizes, 8 killed 9 dead as boat sinks Boat capsizes, 62+ feared dead

Miami - At least 20 people died and dozens more were missing after a sailboat crowded with Haitian migrants capsized on Friday as it was being towed by a Turks and Caicos police boat, the US Coast Guard (USCG) reported.

Rescue crews were searching for about 58 Haitians who were unaccounted for, the USCG said.

Early Friday, Coast Guard officials working in the area had been notified that a Haitian vessel capsized about 800m off Providenciales, one of the Turks and Caicos islands, while being towed by a police boat.

A USCG helicopter located about 20 bodies, while police rescued 30 people.

The 10m sail-freighter was apparently headed for the United States, 900km, with some 150 people aboard.

Since January, 909 Haitians have been interdicted by the Coast Guard as they tried to make their way illegally to the United States.

 

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