Twenty-three missing after migrant boat sinks off Florida due to Hurricane Ian
Twenty-three migrants went missing after their boat sank off the coast of Florida due to Hurricane Ian on Wednesday (September 28), said US Border Patrol. The officials said on Twitter that Border Patrol agents responded to a migrant landing in Stock Island, Florida. US Coast Guard has initiated a search operation for the 23 missing people.
Four Cuban migrants swam to shore after their vessel sank due to inclement weather, Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar said. Local media said those four were hospitalized.
Hurricane Ian thrashed Cuba on Tuesday (September 27). This knocked out the electrical grid for 11 million people. Western end of the island was ravaged by violent winds and flooding.
Ian’s thrashing of Cuba left at least two people dead, both deaths occurring in the hard-hit western province of Pinar del Rio. A woman died after a wall collapsed on her and a man died after his roof fell on him, state media said.
The hurricane hit Cuba at a time of dire economic crisis. Blackouts and long-running shortages of food, medicine and fuel were likely to complicate efforts to recover from Ian.
On Tuesday, seven migrants from Cuba were taken into custody after they made it to shore in Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S. authorities said.
“Do not risk your life by attempting this journey at sea. Storm surge along with King tide can create treacherous sea conditions even after a storm passes,” officials said on Twitter on Tuesday when announcing those detentions. King tides are exceptionally high and can cause tidal flooding.
(With inputs from agencies)
