BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LAW enforcement officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines have confirmed that several bodies found washed ashore on Monday (May 26) were identified as African nationals, based on passports recovered at the scene.
According to police, the bodies were discovered around 10:45 a.m. aboard a suspicious vessel that had run aground near Little Bay, Cherry Hill.
In a statement, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) said officers responded to reports of the stranded boat and found the decomposed remains of 11 individuals onboard. The vessel, which measured approximately 45 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 6 feet deep, was grounded along the coast.
Authorities reported that several passports recovered from the scene appeared to be from the Republic of Mali, a West African nation. However, the identities of the deceased have not yet been officially confirmed. Investigations are ongoing.
The RSVGPF is working with regional and international agencies to trace the origin of the vessel and identify the deceased.
This incident is the latest in a series of similar occurrences. In recent months, several vessels carrying migrants—believed to be from Mali and other West African nations—have been found drifting or washed ashore in the Caribbean.
In January, a boat carrying 19 migrants was discovered off the coast of Nevis. In another incident, a vessel containing human remains was spotted near Trinidad and Tobago, but it drifted away while being towed.
Authorities continue to investigate these troubling events amid growing concerns about dangerous transatlantic migration routes.
