Boat capsizing in Suriname leaves seven dead

Seven people were killed after a passenger boat capsized and sank in north-eastern Suriname on Sunday, June 1.

The unnamed aluminium vessel was underway on a river near Suriname's border with French Guiana when the incident occurred.

The boat was carrying 10 passengers and five crewmembers at the time.

The Suriname Police Corps, which led the subsequent search and rescue (SAR) effort, said the boat capsized, "presumably due to a gust of wind," that then caused it to, "end up in a large wave and sink as a result."

The initial stages of the SAR operation resulted in the recovery of the bodies of three deceased passengers as well as the rescue of three other passengers and all five crewmembers. The survivors were later brought to French Guiana to receive medical treatment.

The police corps later confirmed that the bodies of the last four missing victims have finally been recovered as of Tuesday, June 3.

The 10 passengers have all been identified as French Guianese who were on their way home after attending a funeral in a village not far from where their boat later sank.

Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi said he was "deeply shocked" by the tragedy and declared a national day of mourning on Wednesday, June 4.