At least 40 people have died after a boat carrying migrants caught fire off the northern coast of Haiti, according to a report from the UN's International Organization for Migration on Friday. The fire is believed to have started when two drums of gasoline ignited.

According to a UN agency on Friday, at least 40 migrants have lost their lives and several others have been injured after a boat they were traveling on caught fire off the northern coast of Haiti.

The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the Haitian Coast Guard rescued 41 survivors. Among these survivors, 11 were hospitalized, with some receiving treatment for burns.

A government official revealed that the migrants were attempting to escape to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The boat, which was carrying more than 80 people, had departed from the port of Labadee on Wednesday and was headed for the Turks and Caicos Islands, a distance of 150 miles, according to the IOM, which cited information from Haiti's National Office for Migration.

Civil Protection official Jean Henry-Petit stated that the fire most likely began when two drums of gasoline ignited. A witness mentioned that passengers were consuming rum and whiskey, which may have come into contact with the flammable substance and contributed to the fire, as reported by the Associated Press.

Among the deceased was the boat's captain, according to Arnold Jean, a spokesperson for the police in Cap-Haïtien.

This tragic event occurs amidst a surge in violence in Haiti, as criminal gangs have increasingly overwhelmed the police. Gang leaders are accused of orchestrating attacks that began on February 29 across the capital, Port-au-Prince, with residents reporting incidents of theft and kidnapping for ransom.

Earlier this year, a senior UN official informed the UN Security Council that the first quarter of 2024 was the deadliest period for Haitians, with approximately 2,500 people either killed or injured due to gang violence.

The first three months of 2024 witnessed a 53% increase in casualties compared to the previous reporting period, which had been the most violent since the UN office began recording statistics in January 2022.

Last month, the IOM reported that nearly 580,000 people were internally displaced within Haiti, marking a 60% increase since March.