The U.S. Coast Guard says at least 40 people have been rescued and two people have been found dead, while several others remain missing.

The boat overturned late Sunday near Mona Island, a small uninhabited island located in the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Survivors Spent More Than 12 Hours in the Water

According to the Coast Guard, survivors reported that a violent altercation broke out aboard the vessel before it capsized.

Several people were reportedly seriously injured with a machete during the confrontation, prompting passengers to jump into the ocean and attempt to swim toward Mona Island.

Authorities say none of the passengers were wearing life jackets.

Some survivors spent more than 12 hours in the water before a passing vessel spotted people near Mona Island around noon Monday and alerted authorities.

That vessel initially rescued four people, triggering a much larger search involving U.S. Coast Guard aircraft and ships, Puerto Rico Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Dominican Republic Air Force.

Search Continues for Missing Passengers

Survivors estimated that approximately 60 people had originally been aboard the vessel.

With 40 people rescued and two confirmed dead, authorities continued searching the surrounding waters for additional passengers.

Officials have not yet confirmed the nationalities of those aboard or where the boat originated, so early reports identifying everyone on board as migrants from a particular country should be treated cautiously.

One of the Caribbean’s Most Dangerous Crossings

The Mona Passage separates Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic and has long been used by migrants attempting to reach the U.S. territory from Hispaniola.

The stretch of water is notoriously dangerous, particularly for passengers travelling aboard overcrowded or makeshift vessels.

People fleeing poverty and violence in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic have made the journey for years, sometimes with deadly consequences.

In 2022, an overloaded vessel capsized north of Puerto Rico, killing 11 Haitian women and girls.

The latest disaster comes as migration pressures remain particularly severe in Haiti, where widespread gang violence has displaced an estimated 1.5 million people.

For now, however, authorities are focused on the waters surrounding Mona Island as the search continues for anyone who may still be missing.

At least 40 people survived. Two have been confirmed dead. And the search for others continues.