According to the United Nations Secretariat, at least 40 migrants have died, and several others were injured after a boat they were traveling in caught fire off northern Haiti.

Speaking during a daily briefing on Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Haitian Coast Guard rescued Forty-one migrants and are currently receiving medical care, food, water, and psychosocial support provided by the IOM, in support of the national authorities,

“Two days ago, according to the Haitian National Office for Migration, the boat, carrying over 80 people, departed from Labadee en route to the Turks and Caicos Islands, a 250-kilometer journey,” said  Guterres.

Further, he revealed that eleven migrants were taken to the nearest hospital for treatment, including burns.

Gregoire Goodstein, the head of the IOM in Haiti, said this devastating event demonstrates the crucial need for safe and legal migration pathways.

According to the IOM, more than 86,000 migrants have been forcibly returned to Haiti by neighboring countries this year.