The 70-tonne boat was packed with fisherman after the government lifted a seasonal ban on fishing for lobster.
Representational image (Photo: IStock)
At least 26 people were killed after a lobster fishing boat capsized off the Atlantic coast of Honduras during poor weather conditions, according to an official on Wednesday.
Jose Domingo Meza, the armed forces spokesman said, “Forty-seven people were rescued after the accident near Puerto Lempira”.
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He further said that “shortly before the accident on Wednesday another boat — which had also been overcrowded — had sunk in the same area.”
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The 70-tonne boat was packed with fisherman after the government lifted a seasonal ban on fishing for lobster.
It is still not clear what caused the accident and an investigation has been launched.
The captain of the boat sent out an SOS signal but died shortly after, said the local media.
Honduras lobster exports generated $46 million in 2018, according to official data, and were sent mostly to the United States.
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