Police seeking to identify bodies found on boat floating off Turks and Caicos
Published:Tuesday | June 29, 2021 | 10:54 AM
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, CMC – The police in the Turks and Caicos Islands are seeking to identify the 20 bodies that were found on a boat floating off the coast of the country last weekend.
Police Commissioner Trevor Botting said that plans are also underway to contact the families of the deceased, describing the gruesome discovery as “a human tragedy and a very distressing scene.
“Whatever the circumstances, this is a tragic situation where many people have lost their lives,” Botting said in a statement, adding “the thoughts and prayers of the force go out to those families who have lost a loved one.”
The police said that the 20 “unexplained” human remains were found in Turks and Caicos Islands waters last Thursday by a group of fishermen who initially spotted the vessel and alerted marine cops.
The boat was later towed to shore, where authorities discovered the bodies.
Police said they are currently working to identify the victims as well as the circumstances leading to the incident.
Authorities do not believe foul play was a factor and are considering other causes, the press release stated.
“It is believed that the boat originated from outside of the Caribbean region and that neither the Turks and Caicos Islands nor the region was their intended destination,” Botting said.
In May, Trinidad and Tobago authorities confirmed that the vessel that was found near Tobago with 14 bodies, as well as a skull and skeletal remains, had originated in Mauritania, which is a country on the northwest of Africa.
The Tobago Emergency Management Authority said the information was provided by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
Media reports said local fishermen had spotted the boat drifting six miles off the coast of Belle Garden.
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