Dominican shipwreck kills 18

The authorities in the Dominican Republic have said that about 18 people have died and 30 are missing after a vessel sank off the east coast of the country.

The boat was carrying around 75 people trying to enter Puerto Rico illegally.

An official involved in the rescue operations, Henry Peralta, told the BBC that most of the dead were women, and some were pregnant.

Rescue teams from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are looking for survivors.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service