Monday, August 7, 2023, the Dominican National Police, announced that at least 13 illegal Haitians from Haiti died drowned in an accident in Maharo, (Province of Valverde) in the Dominican Republic, when the vehicle (a large SUV with four drive wheels) that was transporting them fell into an irrigation canal in the Peñuela neighborhood of the municipality of Esperanza.

The police statement specified that the illegal immigrants were heading towards Santiago as well as the capital Santo Domingo. The driver would have "lost control" for an unsolved cause of his vehicle which fell into the canal "Until now, it was not possible to establish the identity of the driver, nor his condition, because he fled and is actively wanted.

Among the Haitians who lost their lives were a newborn baby and a four-year-old girl. According to local media, the vehicle was carrying between 16 and 18 people. The police statement said there were 3 survivors and a search for others was ongoing.

S/ iciHaiti