UPDATE: Two more bodies found in illegal immigration catastrophe, death toll rises to eight
BVI News Correspondent - Wednesday, December 8th, 2010 at 10:57 AM
Brandywine Bay
Virgin Island Search and Rescue (VISR), has recovered two more bodies, a child and an adult, believed to be linked to the illegal Haitian immigration catastrophe bringing the total number of dead to eight.
The bodies are believed to have surfaced at the same location of the crash. Police and other officials are presently investigating the find and an official public announcement is expected to be made within short.
The coroner is scheduled to view all recovered bodies today while a forensic pathologist is expected in the Territory on Friday to conduct post-mortem examinations.
An official of the Haitian Consular in the Bahamas is expected to arrive in the Territory today.
Meanwhile, just yesterday the search team had discovered an additional body as rescue agencies continued search efforts after a boat carrying mostly Haitian immigrants ran aground on a reef off Brandywine Bay around midnight Sunday.
Virgin Islands Search and Rescue recovered the body of a male from the seabed near the site of the wreckage.
Monday morning, five bodies were recovered from the water and near the scene of the wreckage – two females, one male and two children. Among the survivors are 14 males and 11 females. Some 21 detainees are being held at the Detention Centre at Balshum Ghut while four have been hospitalized.
Yesterday morning RVIPF convened a meeting, which included Police investigators, St. Maarten law enforcement officers and representatives from Her Majesty’s Customs, Immigration and the Ministry of Health.
Among the matters discussed were provisions for immigrants to connect with families in Haiti or in St. Maarten and to receive health and other welfare accommodations and preparations for repatriation of bodies and survivors. Police are also arranging for a meeting with members of the BVI Haitian Association.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development through the BVI Health Services Authority completed a preliminary health assessment of the detainees specifically to detect the presence of the cholera disease. The Ministry maintains that there were no known risks to the general population as none of the detainees are exhibiting signs or symptoms of the cholera disease. However, the Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and is working closely with other agencies to ensure the safety of the public. A comprehensive health assessment will be completed today.
All general procedures to safeguard health are to be maintained among officers in contact with the detainees.
Local investigators are working closely with the St. Maarten law enforcement authorities to identify those responsible for the illegal human trafficking and to bring them to justice.
Further, Her Majesty’s Customs, Virgin Islands Search and Rescue and U.S. Coast Guard were part of the early efforts to rescue individuals from the waters around the wreckage and to detain those that had made it on to shore.
A 25-foot fiberglass boat which is believed to have transported the group has since been removed from the scene and is now at the Police Marine Base.
The Governor and Premier have both been notified of the situation and have been briefed on the conditions of the detainees and any possible threats to the BVI public in light of the cholera epidemic in Haiti.
On this situation, the Governor has stated that his office has been in contact with the Haitian government to brief them on this incident.
In addition, the Ministry of Health and Social Development along with the BVI Health Services Authority are collaborating on health issues related to the detainees and are taking all necessary precautions to safeguard the BVI public. Presently, there are no known risks to the general population as none of the detainees are exhibiting signs or symptoms of the cholera disease. However, the Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and are working closely with other agencies to ensure the safety of the public.
Copyright 2012 BVI News, Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
25 Comments
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Haitians are caricom nationals, there should never be barriers with reference to travelling as it pertains to caricom nationals, however i believe, with the instant of that cholera outbreak in haiti citizens of other countries should be on their guard where the entry of haitians are concerned. haitians have always been a nomadic people, regardless of what policy is put in place for them they will still take small boats, its inborn in them; it is beleived that america has a “gold mine” for haitians so i guess they just have to go look for it.
The mentality ofHaitians for the most part,is one of being victim. Choosing to fly on an airplane versus risking their life on a dinghy ? The flight would have been a fraction of what they paid in cash for the boat ride, They need to learn about self worth and the sanctity of life. Endangering the lives of children resulting in their death is murder. Their parents should be charged with muder in my opinion.
The self victimization and destructive behaviour is fostered by the misguided and not so misguided do gooders.
People wake up why we never get the point of the situation this is not about the us neither the bvi its about human libes who died. i think the Virgin Islandia forgot where we come from and who we was in the past. Ira not about who is going to pay the Bill i think God is trying to tell us of u die where u going to pass ir eternity.test in peace my hatians brothers. Wake wake up before is to late
.what haitian association they dont have one, all the have is a bunch of slow people thats all.i dont know why they are doing that lying faking and not helping the poor people in haiti is unbeliveable
[Reply]
@well, You sound like a real summer time student, every other nationality in the BVI has an Association (I.e. Trinidadian, Jamaican, Kititian etc) so please spare the intelligent and save your ignorant comments for urself, its terribly embarrassing!
what haitian association they dont have one, all the have is a bunch of slow people thats all.i dont know they are doing that lying faking and not helping the poor people in haii
@,
, You feel sorry for them why should you? After all the US and many others tried to help them in their time need and all they di was refuse many.. Claiming to say they don’t need our help and to stop sending stuff to them because they don’t want it, instead they send it back. I mean everyone is tyring to help won’t you accept the help! So how can you really feel sorry for them! I feel bad for the lives of the two children that had to go throught this horrible ordeal.
People have a heart, we all know how bad the situation in Haiti is, yet all we seem to care about is who will pay the bill and all this other stuff. The BVI is not exempt from desaster you know. I want to say my heart goes out to these immigrants. May the grace and mercy of God rest on them today. People five lives were lost and my heart breaks for especially the two children who died in this incident. Now for those of you wise ones; I am not Haitian, just someone with a heart who understands that persons from any country can find themselves in the same situation with the haitians in a matter of seconds.
Over 25 people in 25ft boat, the surprise is that they made it this far at all. I fail to understand why individuals direct hate towards law enforcement of any country, who worked through the night, when the despicable evil traffickers behind this are happy to send people to their death, for what? $3,000?
Sad to know this happend.
More so the death of others.
Is there a way they could have stopped the boat?
Whoever are the planners should spend some years in jail.
This happen all the time with human trafficking, but these was caught.
The caribbean islands needs to work more together, to avoid this.
the comment above is so true. The government do need to keep the US outside of our affairs I think we are capable of handle our own.
@ras t,
Who will provide the helicopter and other surveillance equipment? The US Coast Guard doesn’t force it’s way in, they have to be invited in.
@ras T. ah yes, they should’ve died on flanagan so we could just gawp. Not our problem right?
I am more concerned about whether these illegal immigrants carrying the virus which cause cholera. This is some serious $hit, lets hope those who escape are caught very soon.
@Fabulosity,
Cholera is caused by a bacterium, not by a virus. Learn some biology.
If the US Coast Guard were following the Vessel, why the hell they couldn’t stop them some place else, why the heck they let these people come close to shore and have this deadly scenario. The US Coast Guard is a bunch of hatred racist evil set of people.
They watch and let this crap happen in our waters so we could deal with the expenses.
I QUITE AGREE AND HAITI IS FILLED WITH MANY CONTAIGIOUS DISEASES AT PRESENT. I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT OUR OFFICERS WHO HAVE TO HANDLE THESE IMMIGRANTS ARE THEY GIVEN THE RESOURCES TO PROTECT THEIR HEALTH? AFTER ALL SOME OF THEM HAVE FAMILIES TO GO HOME TO….CHILDREN AND WIVES…….THESE TYPE OF SITUATIONS HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUNCES.
@COULDN’T AGREE MORE,
Serious consequnces is right………..
@Real Talk, Why is the US Coast Guard racist? Some of us come on this site and don’t know what to say when you all comment. It is sickening.
@Real Talk, you have been listening to too much CNN and been indoctrinated into the brainwashing that anyone who doesn’t agree with your viewpoint is ‘racist’ – which in itself is hate speech. This indoctrination helps the ignorant masses fall easily into whatever mindset will facilitate being manipulated in order to make some few very powerful. There are many, many good people and only a small percentage of bad people in each and every skin color! Please learn to use a dictionary, then learn to use basic logic. Life will be better without the wool over your eyes!
HELLOOOOOOOO, don’t be upset with me, wake up, this crap been happening all the time the US Coast Guard those spot these boats from miles off our shores, they well know what those be going on, but guess what they tend to run them in our waters this is real facts to all of you who want to be chastising me,
If it was Drugs they would have take the credit for it…
What I’m simply saying is that this boat could have been apprehended in open waters before these people get close to our Islands…
Now the Tax payers have to deal with the expenses…
Now asked yourself this question, why is it that we never hear when these boats get caught in USVI Waters, you know why, because they run them in ours, you fools….
When is the BVI Government going to wake up. The US coast guard always does this shit……run the illigal immigrants in BVI waters so that we can bear the heavy cost……always they always do it…..If it was drugs in their turf, then would act…they would never run the drugs men here because they will get high praise for catching them…..We neeed to to do somehting about this crop
@sad story, You are so right. They do it all the time
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