Bodies of 20, including two children, recovered from boat off Turks and Caicos: Police
Authorities in the Turks and Caicos Islands recovered the bodies of 20 people, including two children, who were found dead drifting on a boat off the coast of the capital Grand Turk Island last week.
The discovery of the boat was initially announced on Thursday after fishers reported its presence about a mile off the island to police, who towed the boat in to shore.
Police confirmed the 20 people dead in a statement on Friday and added on Sunday that two children were among the dead, whose identities and origin are being investigated.
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“It is believed that the boat originates from outside of the Caribbean Region and that neither the Turks and Caicos Islands nor the Region was their intended destination,” Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting said in a statement Friday. Botting, who called the incident a “human tragedy and a very distressing scene,” added that the work to determine what happened “will take some time to complete.”
“Whatever the circumstances, this is a tragic situation where many people have lost their lives, and the thoughts and prayers of the Force go out to those families who have lost a loved one. We will do all we can to identify them and contact their families,” Botting said.
Authorities do not suspect foul play, but investigators “are keeping an open mind as to how these people met their deaths” as they look into the circumstances surrounding the boat’s venture into island waters, police said.
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Turks and Caicos is a frequent destination for Haitians, who have in numerous cases been trafficked there by human smugglers seeking to flee their impoverished country. An illegal vessel was intercepted carrying 43 Haitians at around 2 a.m. Friday, police said.
The islands’ Immigration Task Force then began processing the 34 males, eight females, and one minor on board for repatriation to Haiti.
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Tags: News, Haiti, Police, Human Trafficking
Original Author: Jeremy Beaman
Original Location: Bodies of 20, including two children, recovered from boat off Turks and Caicos: Police
