At least 40 individuals were rescued and two confirmed dead after a makeshift migrant boat capsized near Mona Island, Puerto Rico, following a violent altercation involving a machete.
A machete fight aboard a makeshift migrant boat near Mona Island led to a tragic capsizing incident, leaving survivors stranded in open waters for over 12 hours.
On Monday, officials reported that the U.S. Coast Guard rescued at least 40 people after their boat capsized several miles from the uninhabited island west of Puerto Rico. The incident occurred following a violent altercation that left some individuals severely injured.
Survivors indicated that there were approximately 60 people aboard the vessel when the fight broke out, prompting many to jump into the water without life vests. The Coast Guard confirmed that the makeshift boat capsized late Sunday, and those who managed to survive spent more than 12 hours in the water.
Rescue efforts commenced when a passing boat noticed the survivors around noon on Monday. The individual alerted authorities and assisted in rescuing four people at that time. As of Monday evening, rescue operations were still ongoing, but it remained unclear where the individuals from the capsized boat originated.
Migrants fleeing poverty and violence have long sought passage from Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, to Puerto Rico and other nearby islands, often navigating the treacherous Mona Passage on makeshift boats that are prone to capsizing.
This incident is part of a troubling trend of deadly voyages in the region. In June 2022, a tragic incident resulted in the deaths of 11 Haitian women and girls when their overloaded boat capsized in open waters northwest of Puerto Rico.
In related news, last week, police in the Turks and Caicos Islands detained a makeshift vessel carrying 60 Haitian migrants. Earlier in June, authorities apprehended 240 Haitian migrants near the same islands.
The ongoing crisis in Haiti has led to record levels of displacement, with an estimated 1.5 million people forced to flee their homes due to rampant gang violence. According to U.N. data, more than 3,000 people were reportedly killed in Haiti between January and June of this year. Armed groups are believed to control approximately 70% of Port-au-Prince and various regions across the country.
Rescue operations continue as authorities work to assist those affected by this tragic event, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by many in the region, according to The Associated Press.