SANTO DOMINGO, (Reuters) - The death toll from the weekend capsizing of a boat ferrying migrants from the Dominican Republic to the neighboring island of Puerto Rico climbed to at least 21 and about 30 still are missing, authorities said yesterday.

Dominican Republic naval officials said the death toll rose after the bodies of three victims of the capsizing were plucked on Monday night from the Bay of Samana, where the rustic and overloaded vessel foundered on Saturday.

“Based on the accounts of some of the survivors we have established that 65 people were aboard the boat and that there are about 30 missing,” said Rear Admiral Luis Castro of the Dominican Navy.
“We don’t have much hope of finding any more survivors but we’re still searching,” he said.

Castro did not elaborate but Dominican authorities said earlier that 18 passengers had been rescued and admitted to a medical center with injuries.

Impoverished Dominicans in search of better opportunities often set out in old overloaded smuggling boats, known as yolas, trying to cross the Mona Passage and reach the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Many die in the attempt.

The treacherous 80-mile (130-km) wide strait is a highly used seaway that links the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and is notorious for dangerous tides, shallow sand banks and sharks.