Authorities in St. Kitts and Nevis have so far been able to confirm that a woman and child are among the 19 decomposed bodies recovered in a vessel found floating off the coast of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The bodies in the small vessel was towed to the Coast Guard base in St. Kitts on Wednesday after the report was received of the vessel drifting off the coast of Nevis.
According to a statement issued by Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, the bodies are in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting that the vessel had been adrift for a prolonged period.
Identification documents found aboard the vessel indicate that some of the deceased may have been from Mali, West Africa. Police on the twin island are working on verifying their identities and ascertain the circumstances that lead to the tragic incident.
Crime scene investigators have collected pieces of evidence as part of the ongoing investigation. St. Kitts authorities are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward.
Additionally, authorities on twin island have not yet been able to confirm whether the nineteen bodies are linked to the five bodies discovered by Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guards. However, the small boat with the bodies sank as the TT Coast Guards were attempting to tow it ashore.