Hall's department called the shipwreck one 'of the worst maritime tragedies' that had ever occurred in his country.

The boat, reported to be 9-15 metres long, hit the Molasses reef, some three kilometers southeast of West Caicos, apparently on Monday afternoon, Bena said.

In May, another boat with close to 30 Haitians shipwrecked off West Palm Beach on the east coast of Florida killing nine people.