A boat overloaded with migrants from impoverished Haiti has capsized off the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, killing at least 18 people.  It happened as authorities were towing the lame vessel to port to the island of Providenciales.

Some 33 people had to be rescued.  Those pulled from the water alive are now in custody on suspicion of attempting to illegally enter the territory, authorities in the British territory said.

“I can confirm that 33 people were detained as suspected illegal Haitian immigrants,” said Colin Farquhar, of the Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force.  “This group consisted of 21 males, including one child, and 12 females.  These people will be repatriated to Haiti at the earliest opportunity.”

The US Coast Guard deployed two helicopters and two fast response boats to the scene.  A smaller scale search takes place on Thursday.

Just last month, at least 30 Haitian migrants drowned when their overloaded boat capsized off the southern Bahamas.  Eleven Haitian migrants died in June 2012 when a boat carrying 28 people from the Bahamas to Florida sank.