On the evening of Saturday, April 30 a sailboat that had left the port of Gonaïves without authorization towards Bombardopolis, shipwrecked off Grande-Savane and l’Etang (2nd Communal Section of Anse-Rouge).

The sailing ship named "Croyance", was carrying passengers who were to take part in afuneral wake of one of their relatives in the village of "Jean Makouk". According to a note from the Directorate of Maritime Service and Navigation of Haiti (SEMANAH) the boat was carrying twenty passengers.

Sunday, the search operations have enabled at midday to find 9 dead bodies (4 women, 4 men and a boy 11 years).

A dive team of the Independence City went in emergency on the wreck site aboard a boat of Civil Protection, which was already parked in the bay of Gonaïves for a training session, strengthening the brigadiers of Bombardopolis, who participated in the research and towed the boat wrecked to the coast.

Local authorities, the police and the SEMANAH are mobilized and search operations are continuing in the hope of finding any survivors. A wanted notice was issued against the captain of the boat.

SEMANAH sympathizes with the pain of the bereaved families and present them its sincere condolences.

HL/ HaitiLibre