Floating capsized a short distance from the off the Bahamas in the early midnight hours of yesterday, Sunday, resulting in the deaths of 17 of the dozens of Haitian migrants[/B] on board, island authorities said (photo, above, by Royal Bahamas Defence Force via Reuters).
Rescue from poverty
The tragedy unfolded at around 01:30 (local time; 08:30 GMT) in a sea area 11 kilometres off the island of New Providence, as more and more Haitians try to migrate to the US to escape poverty and gang violence in their home country.
Search and rescue teams recovered the bodies of 17 people, including a child, while 25 others on board were rescued, Prime Minister Philip Davis said during a news conference.
According to Mr Davis, the speedboat the migrants had boarded is "believed to have capsized due to rough seas" as it was heading towards Miami (Florida, south).
According to police officer Clayton Fernander, up to sixty people are believed to have been on board, meaning dozens are still missing.
From $3,000 to $8,000
[BR][BR]According to authorities in the Bahamas, two persons were arrested as they are believed to be the smugglers. Immigration Minister Keith Bell said, citing survivors, that each passenger paid between $3,000 and $8,000 for the trip.
The US Coast Guard has intercepted and repatriated more than 6,100 Haitians at sea since last October. This is the highest number in 20 years.
In May, a boat carrying 842 Haitian migrants bound for the U.S. veered off course and ran aground on the northern coast of Cuba.
Earlier that month, 11 people drowned when a boat carrying Haitian migrants capsized a short distance from Puerto Rico.
Source: APE
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