Four Colombians dead, 17 missing in waters near Aruba

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AFP): Four Colombian migrants died and another 17 people went missing as they tried to reach the Caribbean island of Aruba in a boat that set out from Venezuela, authorities said Tuesday.

Colombia's consul on the island, Ventura Diaz, told local media the boat set out late Saturday from Puerto Fijo, Venezuela, with 20 undocumented Colombian migrants and two Venezuelans on board.

Diaz said that when authorities spied them the Colombians jumped overboard apparently, fatally, believing they were in shallower water.

The 17 missing included two suspected Venezuelan smugglers. A Colombian survivor said that a Venezuelan smuggler charged the migrants, mostly from Valle department, 250 dollars per person to take them to Aruba.

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