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Haiti migrants in boat disaster Haiti migrants in boat disaster
(about 3 hours later)
At least 20 Haitian migrants have died after their boat capsized near the Turks and Caicos Islands north of Haiti, the US coastguard says. At least 22 Haitian migrants died after their boat capsized in shark-infested waters near the Turks and Caicos Islands, the US Coast Guard has said.
Survivors say about 150 people were on board. At least 73 people were saved, but about 58 are still missing. At least 73 of the 150 people believed to have been on board were rescued, but more than 50 are still missing.
The incident happened as the boat was being towed by a police vessel from the Turks and Caicos, US officials say. Several of the victims appeared to have been bitten by sharks, officials said.
The officers saw it was having trouble staying afloat and were trying to tow it to port when it capsized, they say. A police boat from the islands, north of Haiti, were trying to tow the sinking boat to port when it capsized.
The boat was about half a mile (0.8km) off Providenciales Island in the Atlantic Ocean when it capsized at 0420 (0920 GMT), the coastguard says. The incident occurred at 0420 (0920 GMT) about half a mile (0.8km) south of Providenciales Island, a spokesman for the Coast Guard in Miami said.
Sixty-three people were immediately picked up by the police vessel and taken to South Dock on Providenciales.
Ten others were later saved by the police after a US Coast Guard helicopter spotted them clinging to the 25ft sail freighter's hull.
Dangerous crossingDangerous crossing
Sixty-three people were immediately picked up by the police boat. The helicopter also located a number of bodies in the water, some of which appeared to have been attacked by sharks.
Ten more people were later saved, after being spotted clinging to the hull of the capsized vessel. "We have reports that some did have bites that appeared to be from sharks," US Coast Guard Petty Officer Barry Bena told reporters.
The coastguard says its helicopter - which is assisting in the search and rescue operation - located about 20 bodies in the water. "We don't know how many."
A coastguard vessel and a C-130 aircraft are also taking part in the operation. The Turks and Caicos Islands, a British overseas territory, is located to the north of Haiti and south-east of the Bahamas.
The most commonly seen sharks in the area are nurse, lemon, Caribbean reef, and blacktip sharks. According to experts, the lemon and reef sharks occasionally are of danger to humans.
The number of Haitian migrants attempting the dangerous crossings to the US or to other Caribbean islands has increased in recent months.The number of Haitian migrants attempting the dangerous crossings to the US or to other Caribbean islands has increased in recent months.
The Turks and Caicos islands, a British overseas territory, is located to the north of Haiti and south-east of the Bahamas. Some 909 Haitians have been caught by the US Coast Guard since January, officials say.