11 still missing after boat capsizes off Baja California
Rescue crews are continuing the search for 11 people missing after a boat carrying 27 people sank off Mexico's Baja California coast, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials, Qazinform News Agency cites Al Jazeera.
Sixteen Mexican nationals were rescued on Friday after the vessel capsized about 225 kilometers west of Ensenada. Survivors told authorities that 27 people had been on board when the boat went down.
The U.S. Coast Guard said several rescued passengers suffered serious injuries consistent with suspected shark bites and received emergency medical treatment while being transported to San Diego.
The search operation involves U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy aircraft and vessels, as well as support from the Mexican Navy. Officials said an additional helicopter would be deployed to assist in locating the missing individuals.
A distress call was received around 1 a.m. Friday, prompting an immediate response. A rescue helicopter reached the scene roughly two hours later, and crews spent about 90 minutes pulling survivors from the water.
Although the incident occurred outside U.S. territorial waters, American authorities joined the operation due to the emergency nature of the situation.
The waters off Baja California are popular with recreational boaters and fishing vessels but are also known routes used by migrant and smuggling operations. Similar maritime tragedies have occurred in the region in recent years, including fatal boat accidents involving migrants attempting to reach the United States.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the sinking, and the search for the remaining passengers remains ongoing.
At least 13 people, most of them children, died after a boat capsized in eastern India’s Bihar state, officials said late Tuesday.
