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(CMC) SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Forensic authorities in the Dominican Republic are trying to identify at least 14 mostly decomposed bodies found on an abandoned boat just 10 nautical miles off its northern coast.
The Dominican Republic’s navy said the 14 skeletons appeared to be from Senegal and Mauritania, based on documents found next to the bodies.
Authorities are also working to determine the cause and timing of the deaths, and whether 12 packages found on the boat contained illegal drugs, possibly cocaine or heroin.
Cell phones and geolocation devices were also found on board.
The ship is believed to have been travelling from West Africa to Europe.
This route is one of the most dangerous in the world. Ships that miss their destination may be swept away by the Atlantic trade winds and the east-west currents and drift for months. Migrants on board often die of dehydration and malnutrition.
The bodies are being analyzed by the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) in Santiago, Chile’s second largest city, near where the bodies were found.
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