A small fishing boat containing 19 dead bodies has washed up on the islands of St Kitts and Nevis, sparking a police investigation.
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The bodies, which were in the later stages of decomposition, have been identified as being from the West African country of Mali, located about 3,850 miles away. The 19 bodies in the small fishing boat had been dead for quite some time.
The people aboard are very difficult to identify due to their time at sea. However, the ID on some of them has been placed as being from Mali. But, just how they ended up in the Caribbean, dead, on the small boat, is a mystery. Police are currently investigating the situation.
Boat Containing 19 Dead Bodies Is Not From The Caribbean
The investigation has very little to go on. The statement released by the local police says "It was a fishing vessel, which is not typically found in the Caribbean. We are not certain, but we believe that this vessel originated off the West African coast."
This is a phenomenal distance away, but that would explain the advanced level of decomposition. The bodies had reportedly died long before drifting into the St Kitts water. They had been at sea for a long time.
The fishing boat itself, containing the 19 dead bodies, was a very small one. Pictures show it as an uncovered, open-top fishing boat. It has only a small outboard motor on the back. Whatever the people on the boat were planning, they had very little protection from the elements.
The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force have got a real mystery on their hands. The distance from Mali to the Carribean is huge, and the identities are very difficult to determine. They have asked anyone with any information to step forward.
"We urge anyone with additional information regarding this incident to contact the nearest Police station soonest," they said in their statement. "The RSCNPF extends its deepest condolences to the families and communities affected by this tragedy."
A number of the 19 bodies on the boat had ID. These people may shed the first light on the situation that resulted in the tragedy.
