Sixteen people were killed when a ship carrying dozens of Haitian migrants sank off the coast of the Bahamas, amid the continuing wave of illegal immigration across the sea towards the United States.

The Bahamas authorities said, in a statement today, that the ship capsized 11 kilometers from the island of New Providence, and resulted in the drowning of 16 migrants, but rescue teams managed to rescue other migrants.

In addition, Minister of Immigration of Haiti Keith Bell said in statements that rescue operations resulted in the rescue of 21 migrants, including 4 women, from drowning, but that 16 other migrants died in the accident.

The Bahamas is a transit route for Haitian immigrants seeking to reach the American mainland, and since last year, the frequency of these illegal cruises using dilapidated ships has increased, in light of the worsening economic and security conditions in Haiti.(QNA)