39 killed in Dominican migrant boat capsizing

World

39 killed in Dominican migrant boat capsizing

Close

At least 39 people were killed when a Dominican migrant boat bound for Puerto Rico capsized.

09 February,2012 07:00 am

At least 39 people were confirmed dead after a rickety Dominican boat overloaded with migrants bound for Puerto Rico capsized over the weekend, Civil Defense officials said Wednesday.Bodies have washed ashore for days since the boat went under Saturday off Sabana de la Mar, 155 kilometers (95 miles) northeast of the capital Santo Domingo.The accident is one of the worst in memory in this Caribbean nation, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.The bodies recovered Wednesday were in an advanced state of decomposition, so we are proceeding to bury them immediately, said Luis Frias, head of Civil Defense in Sabana de la Mar.Civil defense officials have direct proof of eight survivors, though they believe there were more who managed to swim ashore or were aided by area fishermen.Some 70 people were believed to be aboard the boat when it was swamped by heavy waves in rough weather.Illegal migration in flimsy boats, particularly to the US island territory of Puerto Rico, is a constant problem in the Dominican Republic, where residents often seek to flee economic hardship.