SANTO DOMINGO, (Reuters) – Search crews recovered 22 more bodies from the sea off the coast of the Dominican Republic yesterday, bringing the death toll to 47 after an overloaded migrant smuggling vessel capsized.
The boat sank on Saturday in the Bay of Samana off the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. Eighteen passengers were rescued and the Dominican Navy said several were still missing in what officials say is the country’s worst people smuggling tragedy in almost eight years.
Volunteers and Navy crews planned to continue the search at least until today, a local official said.
Dominican Navy Captain Ramon Mendez said it was unclear how the rickety wooden vessel sank. “It may have hit a sand bank or capsized in high winds. Or it may have just split apart,” he said. “The winds were strong that night out at sea.”
The newly recovered bodies were found near the coast of Sabana de la Mar in eastern Dominican Republic and taken to a hospital morgue.
