Spanish
AZUA. – Two Haitian citizens died by drowning this Wednesday after jumping into the Ysura Lateral 1 canal, in the community of Tábara Abajo, while trying to evade a Dominican Republic Army patrol. Three others who also threw themselves into the water managed to survive.
According to witnesses, the group of five people of Haitian nationality was traveling along an inter-parcel road in the municipal district when they were surprised by soldiers who were patrolling the area. In a desperate attempt to avoid being detained, they decided to jump into the irrigation canal, whose strong currents swept two of them away.
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So far, the identities of the deceased and survivors have not been released, as none carried documentation at the time of the event. The authorities have also not offered further details about their immigration status or the specific circumstances of the operation.
Journalists who went to the scene reported that members of the Army prevented access to additional information, limiting the coverage of the event. The bodies were recovered by rescue units and transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) for the corresponding purposes.
