20 decomposed bodies found in boat off coast of Brazil

At least 20 severely decomposed bodies have been found in a boat off the coast of northeastern Brazil, officials say.

The boat was found on the coast of Bragança, northeast of Pará, on April 13, the Brazilian Federal Public Ministry announced Sunday.

Two investigations have been since been opened.

Officials said at least 20 bodies had been found in the boat, but due to the decomposition of the remains it’s unknown how many died on the boat.

The deceased are not thought to be from Brazil but possibly from the Caribbean, investigators told CNN Brasil.

Local authorities say there have been no recent reports of missing Brazilians.

Police deploy at Vila do Castelo port in Braganca, Brazil, on April 14, after fishermen reported spotting a boat laden with decomposing corpses off the coast of Para state on Saturday. - Raimundo Pacco/AP
Police deploy at Vila do Castelo port in Braganca, Brazil, on April 14, after fishermen reported spotting a boat laden with decomposing corpses off the coast of Para state on Saturday. - Raimundo Pacco/AP

This is a developing story and will be updated.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

Advertisement