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10 dead, dozens rescued after Haitians’ boat capsizes

Posted at 10:22 AM, Nov 26, 2013
and last updated 2013-11-26 12:36:43-05

By CNN Staff

(CNN) — At least 10 Haitian migrants were dead and dozens of others were rescued after their overloaded sail freighter capsized Monday night off Staniel Cay, Bahamas, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday.

Pictures released by the Coast Guard showed numerous people crammed onto the parts of the boat that still were above water, with others in the Atlantic Ocean and clinging to the sides. About 100 people may have survived, the Coast Guard said.

The 40-foot boat turned over Monday night about 15 nautical miles southwest of Staniel Cay, spilling its occupants into the ocean, the Coast Guard said.

The Royal Bahamian Defense Force worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue the survivors. Coast Guard air crews dropped food, supplies and rafts to the boat’s passengers while lifting survivors from the water and the boat, the service said.

As of late Tuesday morning, all of the survivors had been taken to the Bahamas for medical treatment, Coast Guard spokesman Mark Barney said.

The boat still was in the ocean after the rescues late Tuesday morning, though it probably will be towed to the Bahamas, Barney said.

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