Turks and Caicos deny police rammed ill-fated Haitian vessel
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| Published on Friday, May 18, 2007 |
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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos (AFP): Authorities in the Turks and Caicos have rejected claims a police boat rammed a sloop that capsized on May 4, killing at least 63 Haitian migrants.
"The boat was suspected of containing illegal migrants and, in line with standard practice, the police boat took the sloop in tow," the government said in a statement.
"On the way, they encountered rough seas and the heavily-overloaded sloop capsized. The police boat immediately set about rescuing as many of the passengers as possible," the statement said.
Some of the 78 survivors claimed police rammed the sailboat, did nothing to help save its occupants as it capsized, and beat back Haitians who tried to clamber aboard the police boat.
The sailboat capsized in shark infested waters just off Provindenciales, one of the islands in the Turks and Caicos archipelago in the Atlantic.
Authorities in the British territory said they retrieved 63 bodies.
The Haitians were among the many who fled their impoverished and violence-plagued country in hopes of starting a new life in the United States.
Every year, hundreds of Haitians undertake illegal 625-mile voyage to the United States aboard often unseaworthy and overcrowded vessels. | | | | Reads : 57 |
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