Seventeen dead after boat carrying Haitian migrants capsizes in Bahamas
Seventeen people died after a boat carrying dozens of Haitian migrants capsized off the coast of the Bahamas, authorities said on Sunday, as more Haitians attempt to reach the US to flee gang violence and poverty at home.
Rescue teams recovered the bodies of 17 people including an infant and 25 people were rescued, the Bahamian prime minister, Philip Davis, told reporters. Davis said authorities believe the people were on a speedboat heading for Miami.
“It is believed that the vessel capsized in rough seas,” he said.
Up to 60 people may have been on board and more people were presumed missing, said the police commissioner, Clayton Fernander.
Bahamian authorities said two people were taken into custody, both from the Bahamas, over the suspected human smuggling operation. All those on board recovered alive or dead or who were still missing were believed to be from Haiti.
The Bahamas police said the boat capsized some seven miles off the island of New Providence.
The Bahamas is a frequent transit route for Haitians seeking to reach the US. Dangerous voyages in rickety vessels have become increasingly common over the last year.
The Bahamas immigration minister, Keith Bell, said survivors indicated they paid between $3,000 and $8,000 for the voyage.
“We mourn lives lost of those seeking a better way of life,” Bell said. “Those here with families and friends in Haiti, encourage your loved ones not to risk their lives.”
In May, a boat carrying 842 Haitian migrants bound for the US strayed off course and washed ashore along the north coast of Cuba instead. The same month, 11 people drowned when a vessel carrying Haitian migrants capsized near Puerto Rico.