A vessel filled with dead bodies was found near the islands of Turks and Caicos last week, authorities say.
The corpse-filled ‘ghost boat’ is at least the second found in the Caribbean region in recent weeks, following a similar incident involving a craft from Africa discovered in waters around Trinidad and Tobago.
Fishermen first sighted a vessel drifting approximately one mile off Grand Turk island on June 24, according to the St. Kitts & Nevis Observer.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force towed the ship to shore and discovered at least 20 deceased people on board, including two children.
“Whilst the deaths are unexplained, there is no indication of foul play, and investigators are keeping an open mind as to how these people met their deaths,” police explained in a statement.
Authorities are unclear on the vessel’s origins or destination, but suspect its arrival in the area was unplanned.
“It is believed that the boat originates from outside of the Caribbean region and that neither the Turks and Caicos Islands nor the region was their intended destination,” said Police Commissioner Trevor Botting.
In May, another mysterious ‘ghost boat’ carrying at least 14 dead bodies was found near Trinidad and Tobago.
Investigators later determined the vessel was likely launched from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania by migrants attempting to reach the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa.
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