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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Dozens missing after Haitian boat sinks; 15 dead |
| 2009-07-29 |
| PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos -- Rescuers searched by sea and air Tuesday for nearly 70 Haitians after an overloaded sailboat ran aground and capsized in reef-studded waters off the Turks and Caicos Islands. The boat was carrying an estimated 200 people - men, women and teenagers - when it struck a coral reef and broke apart in rough seas near West Caicos, part of an archipelago that has proven to be deadly for Haitians in rickety vessels. Officials said 15 died and more than 100 were rescued, including some who were clinging for their lives to the jagged reefs or who swam two miles to shore. Dozens more were missing, as Coast Guard boats, airplanes and a helicopter joined local authorities and volunteers in searching a 1,600-square-mile area. |
| Posted by:Steve White |