Turk and Caicos Islands.Photo: Getty
The Royal Turk and Caicos Islands Police Force confirmed the gruesome discovery ina press releaseFriday, calling the incident “a human tragedy and a very distressing scene.”
“Whatever the circumstances, this is a tragic situation where many people have lost their lives,” Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting said in a statement.
“The thoughts and prayers of the Force go out to those families who have lost a loved one,” Botting added. “We will do all we can to identify them and contact their families.”
Officials said the 20 “unexplained” human remains were found in the Turks and Caicos Islands waters on Thursday.
According to theAssociated Press, a group of fishermen initially spotted the vessel and alerted the marine police.
The boat was later towed to shore, where authorities discovered nearly two dozen bodies were on board, the outlet reported.
Police said they are currently working to identify the victims, as well as their cause of the death and the circumstances leading to the incident.
“It is believed that the boat originates from outside of the Caribbean Region and that neither the Turks and Caicos Islands nor the Region was their intended destination,” Botting noted in his statement. “My investigators are working to establish their identities and how they met their death. This work will take some time to complete.”
While officials continue to seek answers, Botting commended his team for their efforts thus far.
“In dealing with this situation, I want to pay tribute to my policing team on Grand Turk and those from Health and other TCIG agencies who assisted in the recovery of the bodies,” Botting said. “This incident was a human tragedy and a very distressing scene.”
“However, my officers have acted with professionalism, humanity and care in the very upsetting work they did yesterday to recover those who have died,” Botting added. “I thank them for a job well done for the humanity and professionalism they have shown.”
source: people.com
