4 dead, 20 missing as migrant boat headed to Puerto Rico capsizes off Dominican Republic

The capsized boat was carrying about 40 people and headed for Puerto Rico, a US territory.

Four migrants died and about 20 were missing after their boat capsized off the coast of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, authorities said Friday.

The Caribbean nation's navy said it had rescued 10 Dominicans and seven Haitians. A child was among the survivors. (Representational)

Seventeen migrants were rescued from the boat, which was carrying about 40 people and headed for Puerto Rico, a US territory, according to the Dominican civil defense authority.

The Caribbean nation's navy said it had rescued 10 Dominicans and seven Haitians. A child was among the survivors.

So-called "yola" migrant boats, such as the one that ran into trouble, are constructed from wood or fiberglass and do not comply with safety regulations, according to authorities.

Migrants pay as much as $7,000 for a one-way trip to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with crisis-torn Haiti.

Illegal migration from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico has been a growing phenomenon in the last decade.