NewsWhore
02-06-2012, 01:30 PM
A boat carrying migrants from many parts of the country overturned in the early hours of Saturday 4 February, killing at least 19 people and leaving dozens missing.
It had set off from Nagua, on the north east coast at 5am, to sail to Puerto Rico and according to reports, the fiberglass boat started to fall apart under the weight of passengers and the high waves. It sunk some four hours later, around three and a half kilometers south of Hotel Cayo Levantado in Samana Bay.
The boat was 26 feet long, with capacity for 32 people, but according to the first survivor to reach the shore at Sabana de la Mar, Rey David Cepeda, 38, it was carrying 65 people. He said that it had begun to sink almost immediately. Several occupants fell out of the boat, said Cepeda, and have not been seen since. Cepeda said he swam for more than six hours before reaching the shore.
Rescue teams from the Civil Defense department, the navy, a helicopter from the Puerto Rican coastguard, a plane from the Emergency Operations Center (COE) and volunteers were searching the area by air and sea for any signs of survivors.
So far the authorities have rescued 14 people and 19 bodies have been recovered. 32 people are still missing.
It is estimated that the passengers had paid a total of RD$1.5 million in cash to the illegal trip organizer, known only as 'Berto'.
The dead were initially taken to the morgue at Elupina Cordero hospital in Sabana de la Mar where a crowd of people was waiting, including relatives of the victims, trying to find out information about what happened. The bodies will then be transported to the National Forensic Science Unit (Inacif) in San Pedro de Macoris to establish the cause of death.
Most of the relatives are now resigned to the fact that it is unlikely there will be any more survivors. According to Rear Admiral Luis Castro from the Navy Investigations Department, it is impossible to find more people alive in the water more than 24 hours after the event, unless they have been rescued by another vessel and taken somewhere else.
The prosecutor for Hato Mayor, Manuel Emilio Santana, ordered the closure of shops selling alcohol, and Senator Ruben Dario Cruz, Deputy Jose Alberto Vasquez and Governor Lucas Familia, all traveled to the area.
There was widespread criticism and condemnation from community and religious leaders in Sabana de la Mar, when the survivors were taken out of the hospital with burns and wounds in order to be detained by the navy.
The dead were identified as Silvestre Antonio Hernandez, 33, from San Francisco de Macoris, Jose Agustin Ozoria Tavarez, 31, from Pimentel, Enny Altagracia Morrobel Lopez, 30, who was pregnant, Hipolito Moscoso, aged 21 from Moca, Altagracia Subero del Orbe, 44, from Santo Domingo, Rafael Antonio Calderon, 36, father of six, from San Francisco de Macoris, Yovani Alejandro Tejada Abreu, 42, and Tony Rafael Mercedes, 25, also from San Francisco de Macoris, Altagracia Sosa del Orbe, 44, from Santo Domingo, and Yoel Mercedes. The others have not yet been identified.
The survivors are Julio Cesar Hernandez, 23, from San Francisco de Macoris, Maria Sobeida Castillo Hernandez, Pimentel, Gilberto Portorreal, 37, also from Pimentel, Arismendy Manzueta, 23, from Jacagua, Manuel Ariel Valdez, 27, from Bajo Yuna, Rey David Cepeda, 38, Luis Rodriguez, 50, Franklin Vargas, 33, Estela Calcano, 38, Luis Portorreal, 22, Maria Sobeida Guzman, 39 and others not yet identified.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
It had set off from Nagua, on the north east coast at 5am, to sail to Puerto Rico and according to reports, the fiberglass boat started to fall apart under the weight of passengers and the high waves. It sunk some four hours later, around three and a half kilometers south of Hotel Cayo Levantado in Samana Bay.
The boat was 26 feet long, with capacity for 32 people, but according to the first survivor to reach the shore at Sabana de la Mar, Rey David Cepeda, 38, it was carrying 65 people. He said that it had begun to sink almost immediately. Several occupants fell out of the boat, said Cepeda, and have not been seen since. Cepeda said he swam for more than six hours before reaching the shore.
Rescue teams from the Civil Defense department, the navy, a helicopter from the Puerto Rican coastguard, a plane from the Emergency Operations Center (COE) and volunteers were searching the area by air and sea for any signs of survivors.
So far the authorities have rescued 14 people and 19 bodies have been recovered. 32 people are still missing.
It is estimated that the passengers had paid a total of RD$1.5 million in cash to the illegal trip organizer, known only as 'Berto'.
The dead were initially taken to the morgue at Elupina Cordero hospital in Sabana de la Mar where a crowd of people was waiting, including relatives of the victims, trying to find out information about what happened. The bodies will then be transported to the National Forensic Science Unit (Inacif) in San Pedro de Macoris to establish the cause of death.
Most of the relatives are now resigned to the fact that it is unlikely there will be any more survivors. According to Rear Admiral Luis Castro from the Navy Investigations Department, it is impossible to find more people alive in the water more than 24 hours after the event, unless they have been rescued by another vessel and taken somewhere else.
The prosecutor for Hato Mayor, Manuel Emilio Santana, ordered the closure of shops selling alcohol, and Senator Ruben Dario Cruz, Deputy Jose Alberto Vasquez and Governor Lucas Familia, all traveled to the area.
There was widespread criticism and condemnation from community and religious leaders in Sabana de la Mar, when the survivors were taken out of the hospital with burns and wounds in order to be detained by the navy.
The dead were identified as Silvestre Antonio Hernandez, 33, from San Francisco de Macoris, Jose Agustin Ozoria Tavarez, 31, from Pimentel, Enny Altagracia Morrobel Lopez, 30, who was pregnant, Hipolito Moscoso, aged 21 from Moca, Altagracia Subero del Orbe, 44, from Santo Domingo, Rafael Antonio Calderon, 36, father of six, from San Francisco de Macoris, Yovani Alejandro Tejada Abreu, 42, and Tony Rafael Mercedes, 25, also from San Francisco de Macoris, Altagracia Sosa del Orbe, 44, from Santo Domingo, and Yoel Mercedes. The others have not yet been identified.
The survivors are Julio Cesar Hernandez, 23, from San Francisco de Macoris, Maria Sobeida Castillo Hernandez, Pimentel, Gilberto Portorreal, 37, also from Pimentel, Arismendy Manzueta, 23, from Jacagua, Manuel Ariel Valdez, 27, from Bajo Yuna, Rey David Cepeda, 38, Luis Rodriguez, 50, Franklin Vargas, 33, Estela Calcano, 38, Luis Portorreal, 22, Maria Sobeida Guzman, 39 and others not yet identified.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)