July 19 (UPI) — At least 40 people were killed in a fiery explosion on a boat leaving Haiti, authorities said Friday.
The boat carrying over 80 migrants displaced by gang violence left Haiti on Wednesday and was bound for Turks and Caicos, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The Miami Herald reported the passengers were engaging in a Vodou ritual onboard the boat to ensure they remained safe and undetected on the dangerous journey.
As the vessel navigated the Haitian coast, some candles used in the ritual ignited two gas containers on the boat, setting off the lethal explosion.
Forty-one survivors were rescued by the Haitian Coast Guard, and at least 11 were hospitalized.
Turks and Caicos, a British territory about 155 miles from Haiti, is a popular American tourist destination but also a common refuge for Haitians fleeing their country who don’t want to risk the longer, riskier voyage to the Florida coast.
Grégoire Goodstein, IOM’s chief of mission in Haiti, blamed Wednesday’s fatal tragedy on Haiti’s destabilization and the lack of “safe and legal pathways for migration.”
“Haiti’s socioeconomic situation is in agony,” Goodstein said in a statement. “The extreme violence over the past months has only brought Haitians to resort to desperate measures even more.”
Haiti for several months has been embroiled in a surge of gang violence that has turned the capital city of Port Au Prince into a war zone and ultimately led to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Recent developments have rekindled hope of peace returning to the country, such as the appointment of new Prime Minister Garry Conille. A Kenyan-led United Nations Security Council mission also has begun operations in Port-au-Prince to clear out the insurgent gangs.
The crisis, meanwhile, has caused an increase in migrant activity. Most of the people fleeing the chaos, though, have been forcibly returned to Haiti by neighboring countries, according to the IOM.
More than 86,000 migrants have been repatriated this year, the IOM said. Forced returns jumped by 46% in March amid a surge in gang violence.
The majority of returns were from the Dominican Republic, with which Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola.
Turks and Caicos reported interdicting 865 undocumented migrants at sea so far this year. The island chain also said it interdicted 4,016 migrants last year.