Some of the relevant items gathered on the scene (Reuters photo by Umpie Welvaart)
WILLEMSTAD–Four bodies believed to be of Venezuelans trying to enter Curaçao illegally by boat were discovered at Koraal Tabak, one of the known landing places.
The two men and two women had apparently drowned and their remains washed ashore. A badly damaged “yola” type vessel was also found nearby.
For now, local police assume these deaths were the result of a boating accident rather than a crime. Normally such vessels used by the people smugglers carry an average of 20 plus migrants, so others were expected to be lost at sea or have made it to land alive and gotten away.
An intense search of the area up to Thursday afternoon had not yielded any results except finding clothes, shoes, fuel containers etc. Two persons were held on land, but further investigation will have to determine if they had been part of the group.
Venezuelan media reports about the number of people on board varied between 20 and 40. Based on information from relatives, news site “El País” said 28, all under the age of 30 and having paid some US $100 each for the ill-fated trip, were still missing.
A Venezuelan man who preferred to remain anonymous claimed a family member of his was one of the passengers that survived the ordeal. According to him the overloaded boat had been broken in two by a huge wave.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/72650-four-bodies-of-migrants-found
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