At least 40 migrants were killed and several others injured after the boat in which they were travelling caught fire off Haiti’s northern shores, a UN official said on Friday, citing the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-Genral Antonio Guterres said at a daily briefing:
“Two days ago, according to the Haitian National Office for Migration, the boat, carrying over 80 people, departed from Labadee en route to the Turks and Caicos Islands, a 250-kilometer journey.”
According to the newspaper Le Nouvelliste, the accident occurred on the night of July 16-17. According to a surviving passenger, the fire occurred because one of the migrants lit a candle when there was petrol on the boat. The incident is believed to have occurred during a voodoo ritual.
The Haitian authorities also said in a statement that 37 people were rescued, while 7 people are in serious condition and continue to be treated in hospital.
Since January 1, 2024, 7,531 people have reached the Canary Islands from West Africa, according to the Spanish government, a number up 136% from the same period in 2020.
