Iran Press/ Africa: Port officials said on Wednesday that the capsized boat may have had more than 60 people on board.
Commander Siga Batista said the vessel, classified as a pirogue narrow wooden fishing boat, sank on Monday night in the Atlantic.
"An overloaded pirogue, transporting illegal migrants, capsized in our waters," Batista told AFP by telephone, saying that the fisheries surveillance department had alerted him to the disaster, globoble reported.
"We don't know how many people were on board when the boat sank, nor their identity or even their nationality. But according to information that has reached me there were more than 60 people on board the pirogue," Batista said.
No survivors have been found but local radio stations have asked fishermen to tell authorities if they spot any bodies or passengers still alive.
The impoverished country, which has 200 kilometers of coastline and no patrol ships, was facing difficulty in launching a rescue operation.
"Due to the financial situation, we have had difficulty organizing a rescue operation," Batista said.
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