Few survivors as boat capsizes off Cuba

Few survivors as boat capsizes off Cuba
Article from: Agence France-Presse
From correspondents in Havana

December 27, 2007 02:31pm

A BOAT carrying 28 Cubans trying to reach Miami overturned off the north
coast of Cuba, and only three passengers are thought to have survived,
the relative of a victim said.

"There were 28 people in the motorboat and it overturned. Almost all of
them died, including the son of my cousin. They brought him and we are
mourning him here," Ysleidys Vera told AFP by telephone from Cienfuegos,
southeast of Havana.

"The information that we have is that there are three survivors,"
Ysleidys Vera said.

Cuban authorities have not announced the incident, which reportedly
occured in the predawn hours of December 21, after the boat set sail
from the coastal town of Santa Cruz del Norte near Havana late on
December 20.

Relatives cited by El Nuevo Herald, a Miami newspaper, said the boat
overturned as it was being chased by the Cuban coast guard and struck a
reef.

A preliminary account of the incident by the US Interests Section in
Cuba said 11 people were rescued and two died, the US Coast Guard said.

"We have information about the case. It was given to us by the Interests
Section in Cuba. They alerted us earlier this morning," Petty Officer
Jennifer Johnson told AFP in Miami.

"They told us it was inside Cuban territory seas, there were 11 people
recovered and two deceased. So we are working closely with the US
Interests Section to determine if there needs to be a search in
international waters."

"That's the only information that they have. There are still an unknown
number of people that could be missing," she said.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22976168-5005961,00.html