Haitian immigrants' boat sinks in the Bahamas

11 June 2012 Last updated at 20:58 ET

Haitian immigrants' boat sinks in the Bahamas

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Americas Continue reading the main story


Police in the Bahamas say a boat carrying immigrants, apparently trying to reach the United States, has sunk, killing at least 11 people.

Officials say they expect the number of casualties to rise.

The 28 people on board were believed to have been Haitian nationals.

Reports say the boat, which set off from the island of Abaco on Sunday, developed engine trouble. It sank on the northern coast of the Bahamas on Sunday night.

Seven people have been found alive so far.

Haitian immigrants trying to reach the US can pay more than $500 (£300) for passage on an overcrowded wooden boat.

They often sail via the Bahamas, a collection of hundreds of islands, some of them only 80 km (50 miles) away for the US mainland.

BBC News - Haitian immigrants' boat sinks in the Bahamas