MIAMI - More than 100 Haitian refugees were caught off the Cuban coast Friday and sent back to the earthquake-ravaged nation.
The Coast Guard discovered the refugees in a 65-foot sail freighter northeast of Matanzas, Cuba.
"Overloaded vessels can quickly lose stability and capsize sending migrants into the water," said Capt. Steven Banks, Seventh Coast Guard District chief of enforcement, in a press release. "Migrants on grossly overloaded vessels usually do not have necessary safety equipment and lack sufficient supplies of food and water, which can lead to dehydration and, in some cases, death," Banks added.
The Coast Guard increased patrols after a devastating Jan. 12 earthquake near Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
However, the Coast Guard said there are no indications there will be increased Haitian migration since boat interceptions remain below 2009 levels.
Source: CBS12
No comments:
Post a Comment