20 dead, dozens missing as ferry capsizes

A FERRY capsized overnight off the coast of Haiti, killing at least 20 people, including five children, and leaving dozens more missing.

"Haitian police and peacekeepers from the UN mission in Haiti have recovered the bodies of some 20 victims. The search continues," police inspector-general Fritz Jean said.

"Five children aged two to five perished in the shipwreck," said Evil Lavilette, mayor of south-western Pestel, from where the ferry set out for Port-au-Prince.

"Among the victims, 11 bodies have been deposited at the capital's university hospital morgue," the mayor said, adding that other victims' remains were taken to a hospital in nearby Gressier.

"There are some survivors, but we lack precise information on the number of people travelling aboard the ferry at the time of the accident. There is no authority controlling maritime transport," Mr Lavilette said in Port-au-Prince.

More than 100 people were aboard the vessel, according to police.

Member of parliament Accluche Louis-Jeune said there were as many as 200 passengers aboard the ferry when it sank about 11pm yesterday, a few kilometres from Port-au-Prince.

"At the moment, no survivors have been rescued," the MP said.

Mayor Lavilette said: "The ship's captain waited in vain for the Haitian coast guard to come to the rescue" of his passengers, many of whom were shop owners and their families.

He said the ferry was named Praise the Lord.

The accident comes a little over a year after the May 4, 2007 capsizing of a sailboat ferrying immigrants from Haiti to the US.

Fifty-nine people drowned and 78 survived in that accident in shark-infested waters near the Turks and Caicos archipelago.

Original article posted 12 May 2008.