The New York Times
TimesSelect News Tracker
August 2, 2007 12:28 AM
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International / Americas: Report on Deadly Haitian Capsizing
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The authorities in Turks and Caicos, a British territory in
the West Indies, were ill equipped to handle the capsizing
of a boat in May in which 61 Haitian migrants died, British
maritime investigators said in a report. But they said it
could not be determined if the territory's marine police
had caused the boat to capsize. Several survivors had
accused a patrol boat of ramming their boat. The
investigators concluded that the Haitian sloop, overloaded
with at least 150 migrants, was nearing the territory's
coast when the patrol intercepted it and tried to tow it to
shore. "It would appear that the sloop capsized while under
tow, when the number of passengers on deck reached a
critical number and stability was lost," their report said.
"However, the exact trigger for the capsize remains
unknown." It added that neither vessel showed signs of
collision damage.